Crypto Alert on Apple and Google Play: This Info in Your Gallery Could Drain Your Wallet
A new malware named SparkKitty is infiltrating official app stores to steal crypto wallet recovery phrases from users’ photos.
Security walls in the cryptocurrency world have been shaken once again; the SparkKitty malware, detected in official stores like the Apple App Store and Google Play, is directly targeting thousands of users. According to a report published by security firm Check Point, this dangerous software has managed to find a place not only on third-party sites but even on platforms considered most trustworthy. Spreading through apps downloaded more than 10,000 times, particularly on the Android side, this threat demonstrates once more how easily the robust locks symbolizing the security of digital assets can actually be broken.
SparkKitty, after infiltrating devices, scans photos in the phone’s gallery using optical character recognition (OCR) technology. Thanks to this technology, the software can read text within images and specifically detect seed phrase (recovery phrase) sequences that provide full access to crypto wallets. This threat, an advanced version of the previously known SparkCat software, focuses directly on sensitive data in visual memory rather than monitoring users’ keystrokes.
Hidden Danger in Official Stores: SOEX and 币coin
Researchers determined that this malware was hidden within a messaging and exchange app named SOEX on the Android side. On the Apple front, it was revealed that iOS users were targeted via an app called 币coin. These apps request access to the photo library during installation and perform continuous background scanning. Much like smashing a lock, users’ most private data is transferred to servers controlled by cyber attackers through this method.
Precautions to Take to Protect Your Crypto Assets
Check Point offers vital advice for protecting against such attacks. The most critical step is never to store wallet recovery phrases digitally as a screenshot or photo. Instead, it is recommended to write these words on paper and keep them offline or store them within a physical hardware wallet. Additionally, it is of great importance to regularly check photo access permissions granted to apps and only provide this authorization in absolutely necessary cases.
This situation poses an immediate risk for everyone storing recovery phrases digitally. In this new era where even apps downloaded from official stores are not fully secure, individual security measures have become more critical than ever.