How to Detect ToxicPanda Trojan in Android Apps
This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI/ML in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Detect ToxicPanda Trojan in Android apps.
What is ToxicPanda Trojan?
ToxicPanda is an Android banking trojan identified in late 2024, primarily targeting users in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Disguised as legitimate applications such as Google Chrome and popular banking apps, it spreads through malicious APK files, often distributed via counterfeit app store pages. Once installed, ToxicPanda exploits Android’s accessibility services to gain elevated permissions, enabling it to perform On-Device Fraud (ODF) by remotely controlling the infected device. This method allows attackers to bypass traditional security measures, such as behavioral detection systems and multi-factor authentication (MFA), without using techniques like Automatic Transfer Systems (ATS) or overlay attacks. ToxicPanda intercepts one-time passwords (OTPs) sent via SMS or authenticator apps and records user inputs to harvest sensitive information, such as banking credentials and personal data. Believed to be developed by a Chinese-speaking threat actor, it shares similarities with the TgToxic malware family, which is known for targeting crypto wallets. As of November 2024, over 1,500 devices have been compromised, with significant infection rates reported in Italy (56.8%), Portugal (18.7%), Hong Kong (4.6%), Spain (3.9%), and Peru (3.4%).
How Does Appdome Detect ToxicPanda Trojan in Android Apps?
Taking all the above into consideration, you can use Appdome Detect Bank Trojan Apps feature to protect against ToxicPanda as well as as use a combination of the following Appdome detection and protection methods:
- Prevent Accessibility Services Malware – Prevents malicious actions taken by malware that exploit Android’s AccessibilityService, which when abused can be used to intercept sensitive inputs like passwords and 2FA codes, take screenshots, and simulate user actions such as taps and swipes.
- Prevent Remote Desktop Exploits – Detects 3rd party apps that attempt to remotely control the protected app, typically via social engineering or tricking the user.
- Google Play Store Signature Validation – Protects against fake apps, clones, masquerading, which malware often do to trick users into performing harmful actions.
- RASP & App Shielding – Prevents ToxicPanda from injecting itself into installed apps and repackaging them. Also includes anti-tampering, anti-debugging, anti-emulator, and other protections against dynamic attacks at runtime.
- Code Obfuscation – Protects against decompiling and malicious reverse engineering which hackers use to read and understand source code.
- Root Detection – Protects mobile apps from running on rooted devices, which exposes apps to tampering, data theft, and malware by giving attackers elevated access to system files and app data.
- MitM Attack Prevention – Prevents ToxicPanda from intercepting or hijacking sessions to harvest or steal data.
- Keylogging Prevention – Prevents the use of malicious keyloggers which may be used to intercept two-factor authentication codes or harvest sensitive information.
Each of the protections above is linked to the relevant knowledge base article for that feature, which provides detailed information about each feature and explains how to implement the protection in your Android app.
Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Detect ToxicPanda Plugins:
To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Detect ToxicPanda Trojan , you’ll need:
Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
A license for Detect ToxicPanda
Mobile App (.apk or .aab for Android)
Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)
To enable this protection, ensure the android.permission.HIDE_OVERLAY_WINDOWS permission is added to the manifest. If it is missing, Appdome will add it automatically when applying this protection to the app.
How to Implement Detect ToxicPanda Trojan in Android Apps Using Appdome
On Appdome, follow these simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Detect ToxicPanda Trojan without an SDK or gateway:
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Designate the Mobile App to be protected.
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Upload an app via the Appdome Mobile Defense platform GUI or via Appdome’s DEV-API or CI/CD Plugins.
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Android Formats: .apk or .aab
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Detect ToxicPanda is compatible with: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps.
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Select the defense: Detect ToxicPanda.
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Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the Detect ToxicPanda feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.
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When you enable Detect Bank Trojan Apps you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect ToxicPanda.
Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Detect ToxicPanda protection
Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory). -
Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set. Copy the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below):
Figure 3: Fusion Set Detail Summary
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Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Circle CI or other system:
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Refer to the Appdome API Reference Guide for API building instructions.
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Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository.
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Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Detect ToxicPanda feature as shown below:Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect ToxicPanda feature
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Add the Detect ToxicPanda feature to your security template.
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Navigate to Build > Anti ATO tab > Android Trojans section in the Appdome Console.
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Toggle On Detect Bank Trojan Apps > Detect ToxicPanda.
Note: The checkmark feature Detect ToxicPanda is enabled by default, as shown below.Figure 4: Selecting Detect ToxicPanda Trojan
Note: The Appdome Platform displays the Mobile Operation Systems supported by each defense in real-time. For more details, see our OS Support Policy KB. -
Configure the User Experience Options for Detect ToxicPanda:
With Threat-Events™ OFF, Appdome provides several user experience options for mobile brands and developers.- App Compromise Notification: Customize the pop-up or toast Appdome uses to notify the user when a threat is present while using the protected mobile app.
- Short message Option. This is available for mobile devices that allow a banner notification for security events.
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Localized Message Option. Allows Appdome users to support global languages in security notifications.
Figure 5: Default User Experience Options for Appdome’s ToxicPanda Trojan
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Detect ToxicPanda Threat Code™. Appdome uses AI/ML to generate a unique code each time Detect ToxicPanda is triggered by an active threat on the mobile device. Use the code in Appdome Threat Resolution Center™ to help end users identify, find and resolve active threats on the personal mobile devices.
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Congratulations! The Detect ToxicPanda protection is now added to the mobile app -
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Certify the Detect ToxicPanda feature in Android Apps
After building Detect ToxicPanda, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Detect ToxicPanda protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Detect ToxicPanda protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below:
Figure 6: Certified Secure™ certificate
Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that Detect ToxicPanda has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Detect ToxicPanda and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.
Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Android Apps by using Detect ToxicPanda. There is no SDK and no library to code or implement in the app and no gateway to deploy in your network. All protections are built into each app and the resulting app is self-defending and self-protecting.
Releasing and Publishing Mobile Apps with Detect ToxicPanda
After successfully securing your app by using Appdome, there are several available options to complete your project, depending on your app lifecycle or workflow. These include:
- Customizing, Configuring & Branding Secure Mobile Apps.
- Deploying/Publishing Secure mobile apps to Public or Private app stores.
- Releasing Secured Android & iOS Apps built on Appdome.
Related Articles:
- How to Protect Android Apps Against Xenomorph Trojan
- How to Protect Android Apps Against BrasDex Trojan
- How to Protect Android Apps Against Joker Trojan
- How to Protect Android Apps Against SpyNote Trojan
How Do I Learn More?
If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.
Thank you!
Thanks for visiting Appdome! Our mission is to secure every app on the planet by making mobile app security easy. We hope we’re living up to the mission with your project.