StreamRat Android Trojan Turns Fake Streaming Ads Into Full Phone Takeover

The StreamRat Android trojan targets users through fake streaming ads, leading to full device takeover. Victims are lured to a phishing site offering a TV-streaming app, which installs a dropper linked to the Mirax banking trojan infrastructure. The final payload, StreamRat, is a previously unseen malware family that hijacks Android devices by becoming the default launcher and monitoring user activity. ThreatFabric observed similar campaigns across several countries, using social-media ads to distribute malicious Android apps. StreamRat collects device details, captures user input, and communicates with a command-and-control server, indicating a potential Malware-as-a-Service operation.