"Two Malware Variants Linked to China Infect Uyghur-language Apps, as Per Cybersecurity Research"
More than a third of Uyghur-language Android apps distributed through social media or downloaded from unofficial app stores are infected with malware. Lookout Inc., a cybersecurity company, based in San Francisco, discovered two new malware variants responsible for infecting the apps. These enable cybercriminals to secretly view and transfer users' private photos, chats, and contacts. Cyberespionage against Uyghurs has been ongoing for nearly a decade, employing a variety of viruses. However, the most recent attacks are larger and more sophisticated, according to Kristina Balaam, Staff Threat Intelligence researcher at Lookout. She pointed out that the new malware is more difficult to detect because it is hidden in a wider range of programs, and that the attacks were extremely active. Balaam warned that people are still being actively targeted and compromised. According to Bloomberg, many targeted applications include Uyghur-language dictionaries, translation, and Uyghur-script keyboards. Battery management, video players, radio, GPS, and religious texts are among the other infected programs on Uyghur-language social media platforms and download stores. Because Android users in China cannot access Google Play, they instead download software from unlicensed app stores or potentially malicious links shared on messaging apps such as Telegram. According to Lookout's findings, Uyghurs living abroad may have downloaded malicious applications from unauthorized marketplaces or clicked on dangerous links. Meanwhile, they allegedly delete popular Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat to avoid detection. Lookout analysts believe the attackers are Chinese because their infrastructure is similar to that used in previous Uyghur surveillance efforts linked to China. They discovered, in particular, that one of the servers used in the attack contained Mandarin language files. This article continues to discuss infected Uyghur-language Apps linked to China.