Cybersecurity experts have uncovered a sophisticated Android spyware, LianSpy, targeting users to steal sensitive data.
This spyware employs advanced evasion techniques, making it a significant threat to Android device users worldwide.
How LianSpy Operates
LianSpy begins its operation by determining if it runs as a system app, granting it automatic permissions.
If not, it requests permissions for screen overlay, notifications, background activity, contacts, call logs, and more. Once authorized, it verifies it’s not running in a debugging environment.
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According to theSecureList report, the spyware sets up its configuration with predefined values, storing this data locally using SharedPreferences, a common app data storage mechanism.
This configuration persists across device reboots and uses integer keys linked to specific spyware settings. Key functionalities of LianSpy include:
- Collecting lists of installed applications, call logs, and contact lists.
- Take screenshots and capture screens via the media projection API.
- Exfiltrating data at specified intervals.
LianSpy employs several unconventional and sophisticated evasion techniques to remain undetected. To blend in, it masquerades as a legitimate application, like the Alipay app, or a system service.
Notably, it bypasses Android 12’s privacy indicators, which display status bar icons when sensitive data is accessed. It achieves this by appending a casting value to the Android secure setting parameter icon_blacklist, preventing notification icons from appearing.
Additionally, LianSpy hides notifications from background services by leveraging the NotificationListenerService, which processes status bar notifications and can suppress them. This allows the spyware to operate without alerting the user.
Data Encryption and Exfiltration
The stolen data is stored encrypted in an SQL table named Con001, which includes the type of record (device information, contact list, call logs, etc.) and its SHA-256 hash.
The encryption scheme involves generating an AES key using a secure pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) and encrypting this key with a hardcoded public RSA key. Only the threat actor with the corresponding private RSA key can decrypt the stolen data.
LianSpy uses legitimate cloud services like Yandex Disk for data exfiltration and storing configuration commands.
This reliance on legitimate platforms complicates attribution and makes the malicious web activity from a compromised device virtually undetectable.
Evidence suggests that LianSpy primarily targets Russian users, as indicated by key phrases used to filter notifications and its variants’ default configurations, including package names for messaging apps popular in Russia.
Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) telemetry corroborates this, showing that Russian users have been victims of LianSpy attacks.
LianSpy represents a significant advancement in Android spyware, with its sophisticated evasion techniques and robust encryption methods.
Users are advised to remain vigilant and protect their devices with up-to-date security measures to mitigate the risk of such spyware attacks.
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