Mobile Malware
What is Mobile Malware?
Mobile MalwareMalicious software that targets smartphones and tablets to steal data, intercept communications, mine cryptocurrency, or perform financial fraud.
Mobile malware refers to malicious applications and exploits designed for iOS and Android devices. Common categories include banking trojans that overlay legitimate apps, spyware that exfiltrates messages and location, premium-SMS fraud, click bots, mobile RATs, and rooting/jailbreak rootkits. Distribution channels include rogue third-party app stores, sideloaded APKs, malicious advertising, smishing links, and supply-chain compromise of legitimate apps. Defences include keeping the OS updated, installing apps only from official stores, reviewing app permissions and accessibility-service abuse, using Mobile Threat Defence (MTD) or enterprise MDM, and watching for unusual battery, data, and SMS activity.
● Examples
- 01
Cerberus and Anubis Android banking trojans abusing accessibility services.
- 02
Pegasus spyware deployed via zero-click iMessage exploits.
● Frequently asked questions
What is Mobile Malware?
Malicious software that targets smartphones and tablets to steal data, intercept communications, mine cryptocurrency, or perform financial fraud. It belongs to the Malware category of cybersecurity.
What does Mobile Malware mean?
Malicious software that targets smartphones and tablets to steal data, intercept communications, mine cryptocurrency, or perform financial fraud.
How do you defend against Mobile Malware?
Defences for Mobile Malware typically combine technical controls and operational practices, as detailed in the full definition above.
What are other names for Mobile Malware?
Common alternative names include: Smartphone malware, Android/iOS malware.