![]() In the sample Talos analyzed, Alien took hold of targeted devices by exploiting five vulnerabilities-CVE-2021-37973, CVE-2021-37976, CVE-2021-38000, CVE-2021-38003, CVE-2021-1048-the first four of which affected Google Chrome, and the last Linux and Android.Īlien and Predator work hand in hand to bypass restrictions in the Android security model, most notably those enforced by a protection known as SELinux. ![]() Our findings reveal the extent of the interweaving of capabilities between PREDATOR and ALIEN, providing proof that ALIEN is much more than just a loader for PREDATOR as previously thought to be.” “Both components work together to bypass traditional security features on the Android operating system. “New analysis from Talos uncovered the inner workings of PREDATOR and the mechanisms it uses to communicate with the other spyware component deployed along with it known as ‘ALIEN,’” Thursday’s post stated. Rather, it actively implements the low-level capabilities that Predator needs to surveil its victims. Contrary to previous understandings, Alien is more than a mere loader of Predator. That has changed now that Talos obtained key parts of the malware written for Android devices.Īccording to Talos, the backbone of the malware consists of Predator and Alien. Most of the inner workings of Predator were previously unknown. Citizen Lab went on to say that Predator had been used to target Ayman Nour, a member of the Egyptian political opposition living in exile in Turkey, and an Egyptian exiled journalist who hosts a popular news program and wished to remain anonymous. The researchers said Predator worked closely with a component known as Alien, which “lives inside multiple privileged processes and receives commands from Predator.” The commands included recording audio, adding digital certificates, and hiding apps.Ĭitizen Lab, meanwhile, has said that Predator is sold to a wide array of government actors from countries including Armenia, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Madagascar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Serbia. These buyers went on to use the package in three distinct campaigns. Last year, researchers with Google’s Threat Analysis Group, which tracks cyberattacks carried out or funded by nation-states, reported that Predator had bundled five separate zero-day exploits in a single package and sold it to various government-backed actors. Predator is developed by Cytrox, a company that Citizen Lab has said is part of an alliance called Intellexa, “a marketing label for a range of mercenary surveillance vendors that emerged in 2019.” Other companies belonging to the consortium include Nexa Technologies (formerly Amesys), WiSpear/Passitora Ltd., and Senpai. Smartphone malware sold to governments around the world can surreptitiously record voice calls and nearby audio, collect data from apps such as Signal and WhatsApp, and hide apps or prevent them from running upon device reboots, researchers from Cisco’s Talos security team have found.Īn analysis Talos published on Thursday provides the most detailed look yet at Predator, a piece of advanced spyware that can be used against Android and iOS mobile devices.
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