India recently alerted its citizens about sophisticated malware that targets Android users and is capable of obtaining personal data and giving hackers control of infected devices.

The Controller General of Defence Accounts, a division of the Indian Defence Ministry, issued the warning on the DogeRAT Remote Access Trojan, which was first discovered by the cybersecurity start-up CloudSEK. According to the memo, malware that predominantly targets Android users in India is disseminated through social networking and messaging services under the guise of legal apps like ChatGPT and Opera Mini and even “premium versions” of YouTube, Netflix, and Instagram.

According to the letter, the virus may takeover vulnerable computers, enabling hackers to transmit spam, start unauthorised transactions, change files, and even capture screenshots and keystrokes. It can even monitor the user’s position and record audio.

Although the source of the threat is unknown, the alert notes that in a previous event, a group of hackers used Telegram to spread phoney versions of well-known apps including ChatGPT, Instagram, Opera Mini, and YouTube.