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Kaspersky Finds Mobile Banking Trojans Soared in 2025 as Firmware Backdoors Emerged

Researchers warn of stealthy credential theft on Android, driven by preinstalled code or risky app installs.

Overview

  • Detections of mobile banking trojans jumped to 255,090 in 2025 from 68,730 a year earlier, according to Kaspersky’s latest report.
  • Kaspersky Security Network logged roughly 14 million blocked mobile attacks in 2025, with adware accounting for 62 percent of cases.
  • Researchers flagged firmware-level threats such as the newly identified Keenadu backdoor, plus spy tools like LunaSpy that impersonate antivirus apps to siphon passwords and communications.
  • In Germany, the malware Trojan-Proxy.AndroidOS.Agent.q posed as a discount app, overlaid invisible fields on banking apps, and manipulated SMS to intercept credentials.
  • Recommended protections include installing apps only from official stores, disabling unknown-source installs, keeping OS and apps updated, reviewing permissions, and using a reputable security app while monitoring account activity.