Germany Regulator Warns of Spreading 'Godfather' Malware Attacks

Germany's financial watchdog, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, known as BaFin,  warned of the malware known as "Godfather", which has been attacking 400 banking and cryptocurrency apps, including some in Germany.

"It is unclear exactly how the software gets onto the infected end devices of consumers. Godfather is known to display fake websites of regular banking and crypto apps. If consumers log in via these websites, their login data is transmitted to the cyber criminals," the regulator stated.

The malware also sends push notifications to get the codes for two-factor authentication. With this data, the cyber criminals may be able to gain access to consumers' accounts and wallets.

The warnings about "Godfather" first appeared in December 2022, when the malware was affecting Android devices and targeting users across 16 countries.

Cybersecurity experts at Group-IB reportedly first discovered "Godfather" in 2021, but the Trojan has since undergone a major code upgrade that has led to a spike in activity in recent months.