Unveiling Neo_Net: The Mexican Mastermind Targeting Banks Worldwide
A Gripping Tale of Android Malware and High-Stakes Heists in Spanish and Chilean Banking Realm
In a stunning revelation that reads like a thrilling cybercrime novel, security researcher Pol Thill has cracked open the enigma surrounding a Mexican e-crime actor known as Neo_Net. This digital maestro has orchestrated a sophisticated Android mobile malware campaign, spanning from June 2021 to April 2023, with a specific focus on financial institutions, particularly those in Spain and Chile. Their audacious exploits have resulted in the theft of a staggering 350,000 EUR from victims’ bank accounts and the compromising of countless individuals’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
The story unfolded as SentinelOne, in collaboration with the notorious vx-underground, unveiled the sinister activities of Neo_Net. What’s truly captivating about this tale is that Neo_Net achieved their remarkable success not through complex hacking tools, but by meticulously tailoring their infrastructure to their intended targets. With cunning precision, they managed to infiltrate banking systems and leave a trail of financial devastation in their wake.
It reads like a hit list of banking giants: Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank, Deutsche Bank, Crédit Agricole, and ING were among the prominent victims of Neo_Net’s audacious exploits. Operating from the heartland of Mexico, Neo_Net emerged as a seasoned cybercriminal, boasting an impressive repertoire that included selling phishing panels and compromising victim data for profit. But that’s not all; they also had a lucrative smishing-as-a-service offering called Ankarex, purpose-built to exploit unsuspecting victims across the globe.
Neo_Net’s calculated assault usually began with SMS phishing, a method where they skillfully employed scare tactics to deceive their unsuspecting targets. By manipulating victims into clicking on deceptive landing pages, they cunningly harvested and exfiltrated their credentials using a Telegram bot. These nefarious pages, meticulously crafted using Neo_Net’s custom panels named PRIV8, were designed to mimic authentic banking applications, complete with mesmerizing animations that lent an air of credibility to their malicious facade.
To compound their devious scheme, Neo_Net also hoodwinked bank customers into installing rogue Android applications disguised as security software. Once these trojanized apps were granted SMS permissions, they could surreptitiously capture crucial two-factor authentication (2FA) codes sent by the bank via SMS.
One cannot help but be captivated by the audacity of Neo_Net’s empire. The Ankarex platform, their weapon of choice, had been silently operating in the shadows since May 2022. The service was shrouded in secrecy, with a carefully curated Telegram channel boasting approximately 1,700 subscribers. Here, the most cunning cybercriminals could access Ankarex’s smishing-as-a-service capabilities by visiting the intriguingly named ankarex[.]net. The platform allowed users to upload funds using cryptocurrencies, granting them the power to unleash their own smishing campaigns, tailoring SMS content to targeted phone numbers.
But the story doesn’t end there. In a surprising twist, ThreatFabric recently unveiled a new banking trojan campaign known as Anatsa (also dubbed TeaBot). This campaign has been wreaking havoc on unsuspecting banking customers in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland since March 2023. It’s a stark reminder that the world of cybercrime is ever-evolving and relentless, putting financial institutions and their customers on high alert.
The unraveling of Neo_Net’s exploits serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against e-crime. It highlights the critical need for collaboration between researchers, security firms, and law enforcement agencies to combat the growing menace that threatens global financial systems. As the world watches this cybercrime saga unfold, it serves as a chilling reminder of the vital role cybersecurity plays in safeguarding our digital lives.
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