This new WhatsApp mod will infect your Android phone so be very careful before installing FMWhatsapp. The new moded version of Whatsapp was first reported by Kaspersky Labs that test apps for viruses and other malware.
According to their findings, this mod spreads the Triada mobile Trojan, which downloads other Trojans and can launch ads, issue subscriptions, and intercept a user’s SMSs. People install moded versions of the original app because it provides many more options than the official one.
And according to the Kaspersky Lab “In such apps, creators often publish ads to monetize their work. Fraudsters can take advantage of this, often distributing malicious code through advertising”. One example of this is FMWhatsapp – the 16.80.0 version – which includes the Triada Trojan and one of the ad libraries.
The Triada Trojan malware has been around since 2017. In its current form, Triada is a “downloader” whose main purpose is to establish a backdoor through which other malware can be downloaded and installed.
Along with xHelper, Triada Trojan malware installs several other malware strains that display ads, run “hidden” ads to commit ad fraud, secretly sign up the phone user to paid subscriptions, harvest phone information and install even more Android malware.
FM WhatsApp mod will infect your Android phone with a Trojan
WhatsApp “mods” are private-style risky Android apps. Mostly created and found outside the Google Play store universe. Its creator’s normally modify the way WhatsApp functions. FMWhatsApp, for example, offers to add custom themes, access other apps’ emojis, and app locking with a PIN, password, or fingerprint.
FMWhatsapp is not in the Google Play Store and only version 16.80.0 is known to be infected. So it should be easy to avoid as long as you don’t install apps from third-party app stores. You have to grant apps special permissions when installing from a third-party app store.