Mars

Mars is a malicious software (malware) that has been discovered by Trend Micro's Mobile Application Reputation Service (MARS) team. This malware is particularly damaging as it involves two new Android malware families related to cryptocurrency mining and financially-motivated scam campaigns, targeting Android users. The MARS team also uncovered a new undetected Android banking trojan called MMRat, which has been attacking mobile users in Southeast Asia since late June 2023. The Mars malware is part of a broader threat landscape, which includes other notable clones such as "Oski" and "Vidar", suggesting that the proliferation of these clones is due to the malware being cracked. The Mars malware was identified alongside other products offered by Intellexa, including a network injection system installed at mobile operator ISPs that silently redirects any unencrypted HTTP request from a smartphone to a Predator infection server. An add-on for Mars, Jupiter, can inject into encrypted HTTPS traffic but only works with domestic websites hosted by a local ISP. These discoveries underscore the importance of supply-chain cybersecurity, especially for high-stakes operations like NASA's multi-billion-dollar Artemis-to-Mars program. Trend Micro's MARS uses leading sandbox and machine learning technologies to protect devices against malware, zero-day and known exploits, privacy leaks, and application vulnerabilities. This is crucial given the evolving nature of threats like Mars and its variants. The ongoing research and discovery of these threats highlight the need for robust security measures and the continuous development of innovative solutions to counteract these evolving cyber threats.