How Does SpinOk Work?
SpinOk masquerades as an advertisement and mobile marketing software development kit (SDK). It even incorporates minigames and rewards designed to boost user engagement. By pretending to be malicious software, SpinOk looks less suspicious when it is integrated into various apps distributed via Android app stores.
Once installed on a user’s device, SpinOk operates as spyware. To identify emulated environments, it collects and analyzes data collected from a device’s gyroscope and magnetometer. If it determines that it is in a virtualized environment, it changes its behavior to thwart security researchers.
The SpinOk malware connects to command and control (C2) servers and exfiltrates a wide range of data to them. This includes copying clipboard contents — which can contain passwords and other sensitive data — and accessing files and other private data for exfiltration. After connecting to a C2 server, the malware receives a list of URLs. This list links to advertising content that the malware displays using advertising banners.
The Uses of SpinOk
SpinOk is malware that hides itself in seemingly-legitimate mobile apps. By pretending to be an advertising SDK, it looks legitimate and can entice users into engaging with it via various mechanisms.
Once installed on a device, the malware collects sensitive information from everything that it has access to. This includes the system clipboard and various files stored on the device. With access to these resources, the malware can collect passwords, other sensitive data, and photographs and other files that may be sensitive or embarrassing.
The information collected by SpinOk can be used by cybercriminals for a wide variety of purposes. Compromised passwords and data can be used in follow-on attacks or sold on the Dark Web to other cybercriminals. Other information can be used for blackmail or to tailor phishing attacks to a particular target.
How to Protect Against SpinOk Malware
SpinOk is an Android spyware malware. It uses access to various resources on an infected device to collect sensitive information and take other actions that harm the device owner. Below, we list some of the ways that organizations can protect themselves and their employees against this malware:
- Employee Education: SpinOk uses trickery and deception to gain access to mobile devices, hiding itself within seemingly-legitimate apps. Employee cybersecurity awareness training can help employees to identify suspicious apps and better manage permissions requested and granted to the applications on their mobile devices.
- Mobile Device Management (MDM): MDM solutions can enable an organization to manage the actions taken and apps installed on the mobile devices that it owns. By using MDM, an organization can restrict the apps that users can install on their devices, reducing the risk of malware infections.
- Mobile Security: Like other devices, mobile devices can run endpoint security software that protects them against various threats. Mobile security solutions can identify and block mobile malware like SpinOk from installing itself on user devices.
- Account Security: SpinOk steals login credentials from mobile devices by accessing the clipboard and other resources on these devices. Account security solutions such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO) can make it more difficult for attackers to use these stolen credentials by requiring additional authentication factors and giving the organization more visibility and control over login attempts.
SpinOk Malware Detection and Protection with Check Point
SpinOk is a mobile malware variant that targets Android devices and acts as spyware. It collects sensitive data and files from various locations on an infected device and exfiltrates them to C2 servers. Additionally, the malware can display advertisements to users based on URLs provided by the C2 server.
SpinOk has grown much more common in recent months, but it’s still one of many malware variants in operation. At the same time, companies also face a wide range of cybersecurity threats beyond the potential risk of malware infections. To learn more about the current state of the cyber threat landscape and the various security risks that you need to be prepared to defend against, check out Check Point’s 2023 Cyber Security Report.
Check Point offers robust endpoint security for mobile devices as well as the other systems in an organization’s IT environment. This includes the ability to protect against SpinOk, other malware variants, and the various endpoint security threats that companies face. Check Point Harmony Endpoint can help enhance your organization’s endpoint security – sign up for a free demo to learn how.
Feedback