# @pcmag on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DPypepcDL1p
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35771217-pcmag-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/93ba8f18d3.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-10-14T13:30:07.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** PCMag (@pcmag) — https://gondola.cc/pcmag

## Caption

Last week, mobile security provider Zimperium warned about the “ClayRat” malware, which can spy on and steal data from infected Android phones. This includes intercepting SMS messages, exfiltrating call logs, and secretly taking photos with the camera. 

The malware will also use the infected Android phone to target other victims. “ClayRat also spreads aggressively by sending malicious links to every contact in the victim’s phone book, effectively turning each infected device into a distribution hub,” Zimperium said. It’s why the malware appears to be “expanding at an alarming rate,” with Zimperium observing more than 600 samples of the malware in the last three months alone.

For now, ClayRat has primarily targeted users in Russia. Hackers are using the messaging app Telegram and fake websites that impersonate brands to trick users into installing the malware, which will masquerade as popular apps, including TikTok, YouTube, and Google Photos. 

If a user is tricked into installing ClayRat, it’ll then request SMS privileges, allowing the malware to hijack and send messages to all the phone’s contacts. This includes circulating an SMS message with the Russian words “Узнай первым!” or “Be the first to know!” along with a malicious link intended to further trick users into installing malware. 

#malware #clayrat #russia #technews #cybersecurity 

📸: jittawit.21 via Getty Images, Zimperium

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## Tags

clayrat, malware, technews, cybersecurity, russia

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