The campaign, which security firm Check Point has named Rampant Kitten, comprises two main components, one for Windows and the other for Android. Rampant Kitten’s objective is to steal Telegram messages, passwords, and two-factor authentication codes sent by SMS and then also take screenshots and record sounds within earshot of an infected phone, the researchers said in a post published on Friday.
Why Telegram?
Telegram has no known backdoors and, even though it is come in for criticism for using proprietary encryption methods instead of open-source ones, those have yet to be compromised. While no messaging app can guarantee a 100% impermeable defense against determined attackers, Telegram is vulnerabilities are few and either theoretical or based on spoof files fooling users into actively enabling an attack.
