Xiaomi has just given a global launch to two of its latest flagship phones, the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra, along with a Leica-branded Leitzphone edition of the Ultra. There’s no sign, however, of the 17 Pro, which launched in China with an additional display mounted next to the rear cameras.
Technology
New malware can read your chats and steal your money
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A new Android banking trojan called Sturnus is shaping up to be one of the most capable threats we have seen in a while. It is still in early development, but it already behaves like a fully mature operation.
Once it infects a device, it can take over your screen, steal your banking credentials and even read encrypted chats from apps you trust. The worrying part is how quietly it works in the background. You think your messages are safe because they are end-to-end encrypted, but this malware simply waits for the phone to decrypt them before grabbing everything.
It’s important to note, however, that Sturnus does not break encryption; it only captures messages after your apps decrypt them on your device.
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Sturnus malware uses deceptive screens that mimic real banking apps to steal your credentials in seconds. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson )
A closer look at the malware’s capabilities
Sturnus combines several attack layers that give the operator nearly full visibility into the device, as reported by cybersecurity research firm ThreatFabric. It uses HTML overlays that mimic real banking apps to trick you into typing your credentials. Everything you enter goes straight to the attacker through a WebView that forwards the data instantly. It also runs an aggressive keylogging system through the Android Accessibility Service. This lets it capture text as you type, follow which app is open, and map every UI element on the screen. Even when apps block screenshots, the malware keeps tracking the UI tree in real time, which is enough to reconstruct what you are doing.
NEW ANDROID MALWARE CAN EMPTY YOUR BANK ACCOUNT IN SECONDS
On top of overlays and keylogging, the malware monitors WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and other messaging apps. It waits for these apps to decrypt messages locally, then captures the text right from the screen. This means your chats may remain encrypted over the network, but once the message appears on your display, Sturnus sees the entire conversation. It also includes a full remote control feature with live screen streaming and a more efficient mode that sends only interface data. This allows precise taps, text injection, scrolling and permission approvals without showing any activity to the victim.
How Sturnus stays hidden and steals money
The malware protects itself by grabbing Device Administrator privileges and blocking any attempt to remove it. If you open the settings page that could disable those permissions, Sturnus detects it immediately and moves you away from the screen before you can act. It also monitors battery state, SIM changes, developer mode, network conditions and even signs of forensic investigation to decide how to behave. All this data goes back to the command-and-control server through a mix of WebSocket and HTTP channels protected with RSA and AES encryption.
When it comes to financial theft, the malware has several ways to take over your accounts. It can collect credentials through overlays, keylogging, UI-tree monitoring and direct text injection. If needed, it can black out your screen with a full-screen overlay while the attacker performs fraudulent transactions in the background. Since the screen is hidden, you have no idea anything is happening until it is too late.
7 ways you can stay safe from Android malware like Sturnus
If you want to protect yourself from threats like this, here are a few practical things you can start doing right away.
1) Install apps only from trusted and verified sources
Avoid downloading APKs from forwarded links, shady websites, Telegram groups or third-party app stores. Banking malware spreads most effectively through sideloaded installers disguised as updates, coupons or new features. If you need an app that isn’t in the Play Store, verify the developer’s official site, check hashes if provided and read recent reviews to make sure the app hasn’t been hijacked.
2) Check permission requests carefully before tapping allow
Most dangerous malware relies on accessibility permissions because they allow full visibility into your screen and interactions. Device administrator rights are even more powerful since they can block removal. If a simple utility app suddenly asks for these, stop immediately. These permissions should only be granted to apps that genuinely need them, such as password managers or accessibility tools you trust.
3) Keep your phone updated
Install system updates as soon as they arrive, since many Android banking trojans target older devices that lack the latest security patches. If your phone is no longer receiving updates, you are at a higher risk, especially when using financial apps. Avoid sideloading custom ROMs unless you know how they handle security patches and Google Play Protect.
HOW ANDROID MALWARE LETS THIEVES ACCESS YOUR ATM CASH
4) Use strong antivirus software
The malware quietly captures decrypted messages from apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal right as they appear on your screen. (Kurt Knutsson)
Android phones come with Google Play Protect built in, which catches a large chunk of known malware families and warns you when apps behave suspiciously. But if you want greater security and control, choose a third-party antivirus app. These tools can alert you when an app starts logging your screen or trying to take over your phone.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Use a personal data removal service
A lot of these campaigns rely on data brokers, leaked databases and scraped profiles to build lists of people to target. If your phone number, email, address or social handles are floating around on dozens of broker sites, it becomes much easier for attackers to reach you with malware links or tailored scams. A personal data removal service helps clean up that footprint by deleting your info from data broker listings.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.
6) Treat unusual login screens and pop-ups as red flags
Trojan overlays often appear when you open your bank app or a popular service. If the screen layout looks different or asks for credentials in a way you don’t recognize, close the app completely. Reopen it from your app drawer and see if the prompt returns. If it doesn’t, you probably caught an overlay. Never type banking details into screens that appear suddenly or seem out of place.
With remote control tools that stream your screen and automate taps, attackers can move money behind the scenes without you noticing. (Felix Zahn/Photothek via Getty Images)
7) Be cautious with links and attachments you receive
Attackers frequently distribute malware through WhatsApp links, SMS messages and email attachments pretending to be invoices, refunds or delivery updates. If you receive a link you weren’t expecting, open your browser manually and search for the service instead. Avoid installing anything that comes from a message, even if it appears to be from someone you know. Compromised accounts are a common delivery method.
DATA BREACH EXPOSES 400,000 BANK CUSTOMERS’ INFO
Kurt’s key takeaway
Sturnus is still a young malware family, but it already stands out for how much control it gives attackers. It sidesteps encrypted messaging, steals banking credentials with multiple backup methods, and maintains a strong grip on the device through administrator privileges and constant environmental checks. Even if the current campaigns are limited, the level of sophistication here suggests a threat that is being refined for larger operations. If it reaches wide distribution, it could become one of the most damaging Android banking trojans in circulation.
Have scammers ever tried to trick you into installing an app or clicking a link? How did you handle it? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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The 17 and 17 Ultra will apparently be available soon in the UK, Europe, and select other markets. The 17 — pitched as a rival to the likes of the iPhone 17 and Samsung Galaxy S26 — will cost £899 / €999 (about $1,200), while the larger and more capable Ultra starts from £1,299 / €1,499 ($1,750). The limited-edition Leitzphone will be substantially more expensive at £1,699 / €1,999 ($2,300), though it includes 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, along with a few extra accessories.
The 17 is an extremely capable small-ish flagship, with a 6.3-inch OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and large 6,330mAh silicon-carbon battery (though sadly smaller than the 7,000mAh version launched in China). I won’t be writing a full review of the 17, but did spend a week using it as my main phone, and found that the battery cruised past the full-day mark, though wasn’t quite enough for two full days of my typical usage. That’s far better battery life than you’d find in similarly sized phones from Apple, Samsung, or Google.
The cameras impress too, with 50-megapixel sensors behind each of the four lenses, selfie included. Pound for pound, you won’t find many better camera systems in any phone this size.
1/10
The Ultra, unsurprisingly, takes things to another level. It’s much larger, with a 6.9-inch display, and weighs a hefty 218g. Despite that, the 6,000mAh is actually smaller, though I found it delivered pretty similar longevity.
The enormous camera is, as ever for Xiaomi’s Ultra phones, the highlight. There are 50-megapixel sensors for each of the main, ultrawide, and selfie cameras, with a large 1-inch-type sensor behind the primary lens. The periscope telephoto is even more impressive: 200-megapixel resolution, a large 1/1.4-inch sensor, and continuous optical zoom from 3.2x to 4.3x, the equivalent of 75-100mm. Xiaomi isn’t the first to pull off a true zoom phone — Sony’s Xperia 1 IV got there first in 2022 — but the telephoto camera here is far more capable than that phone’s, with natural bokeh and impressive performance even in low light.
The camera capabilities are supported by Xiaomi’s ongoing photography partner Leica, but it’s the pair’s Leitzphone that really emphasizes that. Slightly redesigned from the 17 Ultra Leica Edition that was released in China last December, this includes Leica branding across the hardware and software, a range of Leica filters and shooting styles, and a rotatable rear camera ring that can be used to control the zoom. It’s the first Leica Leitzphone produced by Xiaomi — after a trio of Japan-only Sharp models — and comes with additional branded accessories, including a case with a lens cap and a microfiber cleaning cloth.
Xiaomi has plenty of other announcements alongside the 17 series phones at MWC this year, including a super-slim magnetic power bank, the Pad 8 and Pad 8 Pro tablets, and a smart tag that supports both Google and Apple’s tech-tracking networks.
Photography by Dominic Preston / The Verge
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Free apps are supposed to cost you nothing but storage space. But in this case, they may have cost millions of people control over their own internet connections.
Google says it has disrupted what it believes was the world’s largest residential proxy network, one that secretly hijacked around 9 million Android devices, along with computers and smart home gadgets. Most people had no idea their devices were being used since the apps worked normally, and nothing looked broken.
But behind the scenes, those devices were quietly routing traffic for strangers, including cybercriminals.
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STOP GOOGLE FROM FOLLOWING YOUR EVERY MOVE
Google says it disrupted a massive residential proxy network that secretly hijacked about 9 million Android and smart devices. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
How your device became part of a proxy network
According to Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, the network was tied to a company known as IPIDEA. Instead of spreading through obvious malware, it relied on hidden software development kits, or SDKs, that were embedded inside more than 600 apps. These apps ranged from simple utilities to VPN tools and other free downloads. When you installed one, the app performed its advertised function. But it also enrolled your device into a residential proxy network.
That means your phone, computer or smart device could be used as a relay point for someone else’s internet traffic. That traffic might include scraping websites, launching automated login attempts or masking the identity of someone conducting shady online activity. From the outside, it looked like that activity came from your home IP address. You wouldn’t see it happening, and in many cases, you wouldn’t notice any major performance issues.
Google says in a single seven-day period earlier this year, more than 550 separate threat groups were observed using IP addresses linked to this infrastructure. That includes cybercrime operations and state-linked actors. Residential proxy networks are attractive because they make malicious traffic look like normal consumer activity. Instead of coming from a suspicious data center, it appears to come from someone’s living room.
What Google did to shut it down
Google says it took legal action in a U.S. federal court to seize domains used to control the infected devices and route proxy traffic. It also worked with companies like Cloudflare and other security firms to disrupt the network’s command-and-control systems. Google claims it also updated Play Protect, the built-in Android security system, so that certified devices would automatically detect and remove apps known to include the malicious SDKs.
However, Google also warned that many of these apps were distributed outside the official Play Store. That matters because Play Protect can only scan and block threats tied to apps installed through Google Play. Third-party app stores, unofficial downloads and uncertified Android devices carry far greater risk.
IPIDEA has claimed its service was meant for legitimate business use, such as web research and data collection. But Google’s research suggests the network was heavily abused by criminals. Even if some users knowingly installed bandwidth-sharing apps in exchange for rewards, many did not receive clear disclosure about how their devices were being used.
Google’s investigation also found significant overlap between different proxy brands and SDK names. What looked like separate services were often tied to the same infrastructure. That makes it harder for consumers to know which apps are safe and which are quietly monetizing their connection.
300,000 CHROME USERS HIT BY FAKE AI EXTENSIONS
Hidden software inside more than 600 apps allegedly turned phones and computers into internet relays for cybercriminals. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
7 ways you can protect yourself from Android proxy attacks
If millions of devices can be quietly turned into internet relay points, the big question is, how do you make sure yours isn’t one of them? These steps reduce the risk that your phone, TV box or smart device gets pulled into a proxy network without you realizing it.
1) Stick to official app stores
Only download apps from the Google Play Store or other trusted app marketplaces. Some apps hide small pieces of code that can secretly use your internet connection. These are often spread through third-party app stores or direct app files called “APKs,” which are Android app files installed manually instead of through the Play Store. When you sideload apps this way, you bypass Google’s built-in security checks. Sticking to official stores helps keep those hidden threats off your device.
2) Avoid “earn money by sharing bandwidth” apps
If an app promises rewards for sharing your unused internet bandwidth, that’s a major red flag. In many cases, that is exactly how residential proxy networks recruit devices. Even if it sounds legitimate, you are effectively renting out your IP address. That can expose you to abuse, blacklisting or deeper network vulnerabilities.
3) Review app permissions carefully
Before installing any app, check what permissions it requests. A simple wallpaper app should not need full network control or background execution privileges. After installation, go into your phone’s settings and audit which apps have constant internet access, background activity rights or special device permissions.
4) Install strong antivirus software
Today’s mobile security tools can detect suspicious app behavior, unusual internet activity and hidden background services. Strong antivirus software adds an extra layer of protection beyond what’s built into your device, especially if you’ve installed apps in the past that you’re unsure about. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Keep your devices updated
Android security updates patch vulnerabilities that proxy operators may exploit. If you’re using an older phone, tablet or Android TV box that no longer receives updates, it may be time to upgrade. Unpatched devices are easier targets for hidden SDK abuse and botnet enrollment.
6) Use a strong password manager
If your device ever becomes part of a proxy network or is otherwise compromised, attackers often try to pivot into your accounts next. That’s why you should never reuse passwords. A password manager generates long, unique passwords for every account and stores them securely, so one breach does not unlock your email, banking or social media. Many password managers also include breach monitoring tools that alert you if your credentials appear in leaked databases, giving you a chance to act before real damage is done. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.
7) Remove apps you don’t fully trust
Go through your installed apps and delete or uninstall anything you don’t recognize or haven’t used in months. The fewer apps running on your device, the fewer opportunities there are for hidden SDKs to operate. If you suspect your device has been compromised, consider a full reset and reinstall only essential apps from trusted sources.
ANDROID MALWARE HIDDEN IN FAKE ANTIVIRUS APP
Threat groups and state-linked actors allegedly used compromised devices to mask online activity and automate attacks. (Photo Illustration by Serene Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaway
Residential proxy networks operate in a gray area that sounds harmless on paper but can quickly become a shield for cybercrime. In this case, millions of everyday devices were quietly enrolled into a system that attackers used to hide their tracks. Google’s takedown is a major move, but the broader market for residential proxies is still growing. That means you need to be cautious about what you install and what permissions you grant. Free apps are rarely truly free. Sometimes, the product being sold is you and your internet connection.
Have you ever installed an app that promised rewards for sharing bandwidth, or used a free VPN without thinking twice about it? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
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This week, Anthropic delivered a master class in arrogance and betrayal as well as a textbook case of how not to do business with the United States Government or the Pentagon.
Our position has never wavered and will never waver: the Department of War must have full, unrestricted access to Anthropic’s models for every LAWFUL purpose in defense of the Republic.
Instead, @AnthropicAI and its CEO @DarioAmodei, have chosen duplicity. Cloaked in the sanctimonious rhetoric of “effective altruism,” they have attempted to strong-arm the United States military into submission – a cowardly act of corporate virtue-signaling that places Silicon Valley ideology above American lives.
The Terms of Service of Anthropic’s defective altruism will never outweigh the safety, the readiness, or the lives of American troops on the battlefield.
Their true objective is unmistakable: to seize veto power over the operational decisions of the United States military. That is unacceptable.
As President Trump stated on Truth Social, the Commander-in-Chief and the American people alone will determine the destiny of our armed forces, not unelected tech executives.
Anthropic’s stance is fundamentally incompatible with American principles. Their relationship with the United States Armed Forces and the Federal Government has therefore been permanently altered.
In conjunction with the President’s directive for the Federal Government to cease all use of Anthropic’s technology, I am directing the Department of War to designate Anthropic a Supply-Chain Risk to National Security. Effective immediately, no contractor, supplier, or partner that does business with the United States military may conduct any commercial activity with Anthropic. Anthropic will continue to provide the Department of War its services for a period of no more than six months to allow for a seamless transition to a better and more patriotic service.
America’s warfighters will never be held hostage by the ideological whims of Big Tech. This decision is final.
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