A coalition of governments, including the UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the United States, has identified a list of Android apps that appear legitimate but are actually spyware used to target groups opposing China’s state interests. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of intelligence agency GCHQ, released advisories on two spyware families known as BadBazaar and Moonshine.
These spywares operate like “Trojan” malware, embedding themselves within seemingly harmless apps. They possess extensive surveillance capabilities, allowing access to phone cameras, microphones, chats, photos, and location data. Previous analyses from cybersecurity firms such as Lookout, Trend Micro, and Volexity, alongside the non-profit Citizen Lab, indicate that these spywares primarily aim at Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Taiwanese populations, as well as various civil society groups.
Uyghurs, a Muslim minority largely governed by China, have long faced severe repression and surveillance, making them frequent targets for hacking efforts. According to the NCSC, the apps aim specifically at individuals linked to issues deemed destabilising by the Chinese state, often designed to attract victims by mimicking popular applications. Those most at risk include advocates for Taiwanese independence, Tibetan rights, Uyghur culture, democracy advocates, and members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.
The NCSC’s report includes a list of over 100 malicious Android apps concealed as Muslim and Buddhist prayer apps, chat applications like Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp, as well as well-known utilities such as Adobe Acrobat. Additionally, an iOS app named TibetOne, available on Apple’s App Store since 2021, has also been flagged.
Google and Apple have not yet provided comments on these findings.
Fanpage: TechArena.au
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