How to Protect Android Apps Against BrasDex Malware

Learn how to detect and protect against BrasDex Android malware in Android apps using Appdome’s no-code unified mobile app defense platform.

What is BrasDex?

BrasDex is an Android banking trojan that initially primarily targets Brazilian and many other banking applications, with a focus on the Pix payment system. The malware abuses Android’s Accessibility Services to perform keylogging and facilitate unauthorized financial transactions through its advanced Automated Transfer System (ATS) malware. This ATS capability allows BrasDex to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) and automate fraudulent transactions directly from compromised devices, users and mobile accounts.

Initially relying on overlay attacks, BrasDex has evolved to incorporate more flexible keylogging methods, making it more automated, adaptable and dangerous. This shift signifies a move towards more sophisticated fraud techniques, posing significant threats to Android users in Brazil and beyond.

How Does Appdome Protect Against BrasDex?

Taking all the above into consideration, you can use Appdome to protect against BrasDex using a combination of the following protection methods:

• RASP – Prevents BrasDex 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.
• Root Detection –  protects mobile apps from running on rooted devices, which bypass Android’s security controls. Rooting exposes apps to tampering, data theft, and malware by giving attackers elevated access to system files and app data.
• MitM Attack Prevention  – Prevents BrasDex from intercepting or hijacking sessions to harvest or steal data.
• Block App Overlay Attacks – Detects and prevents fake/malicious screen overlays from displaying on top of the app screen and concealing the legitimate app screen. Mobile malware and Trojans like BrasDex use overlay attacks to trick users into revealing sensitive information or performing harmful actions inadvertently.
• Keylogging Prevention – Prevents the use of malicious keyloggers which may be used to intercept two-factor authentication codes or harvest sensitive information.
• 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. This allows attackers to manipulate apps, steal data, impersonate the real user, or perform fraudulent transactions without the user’s knowledge.
• Google Play Store Signature Validation – protects against fake apps, clones, masquerading, which malware often do to trick users into performing harmful actions.
• Prevent ATS Malware – Detects active transaction hijacking attempts by Automatic Transfer System (ATS) malware, blocks the attempt and notifies the user.

Each of the protections above are linked to the relevent knowledge base article for that feature, which provide detailed information about each feature and also explain how to implement the protection in your Android app.

Prerequisites

To use Appdome’s to protect Android apps against BrasDex, you’ll need the following:

• Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
• A license for the relevant features mentioned above.
• Mobile App (.apk or .aab for Android)
• Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps).

Related Articles:

• How to Protect Android Apps Against CraxsRAT Malware
• How to Protect Android Apps Against FjordPhantom Malware
• How to Protect Android Apps Against Panda Malware
• How to Protect Android Apps Against Brokewell Malware
• How to Protect Android Apps Against Hiddad Malware

If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.

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