Ethical Hacking News
Android malware has evolved significantly in recent years, with threat actors now utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like Google's Gemini to automate persistence on affected devices. PromptSpy, a new malware discovered by cybersecurity researchers at ESET, is designed to capture lockscreen data, block uninstallation efforts, and gather device information. Its primary goal is to deploy a built-in VNC module that grants attackers remote access to the victim's device. With its ability to adapt to more or less any device layout or OS version, PromptSpy poses significant security risks for Android users.
PromptSpy is a new Android malware that utilizes Google's Gemini AI chatbot to achieve persistent persistence on affected devices. The malware was discovered by cybersecurity researchers at ESET and has been found to capture lockscreen data, block uninstallation efforts, gather device information, take screenshots, and record screen activity as video. PromptSpy leverages Gemini AI to analyze the current screen and provide step-by-step instructions on how to ensure the malicious app remains pinned in the recent apps list. The malware sends Gemini a natural language prompt along with an XML dump of the current screen, which provides detailed information about every UI element. PromptSpy prevents itself from being uninstalled by overlaying invisible elements on the screen and making it challenging for users to remove without rebooting their device into Safe Mode.
The world of mobile security has witnessed a significant evolution over the years, with threats becoming more sophisticated and challenging to detect. The latest development in this space involves the use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like Google's Gemini, which are being abused by threat actors to automate persistence on Android devices. In a recent discovery made by cybersecurity researchers at ESET, a malware called PromptSpy has been found to utilize Gemini AI to achieve persistent persistence on affected devices.
PromptSpy is an advanced version of another previously unknown Android malware called VNCSpy, samples of which were first uploaded to the VirusTotal platform last month from Hong Kong. The malware is designed to capture lockscreen data, block uninstallation efforts, gather device information, take screenshots, and record screen activity as video. Its primary goal is to deploy a built-in VNC module that grants attackers remote access to the victim's device.
The malware achieves this by leveraging Gemini AI to analyze the current screen and provide step-by-step instructions on how to ensure the malicious app remains pinned in the recent apps list. This makes it challenging for users to uninstall the app, as it can adapt to more or less any device layout or OS version. According to ESET researcher Lukáš Štefanko, "Gemini is used to analyze the current screen and provide PromptSpy with step-by-step instructions on how to ensure the malicious app remains pinned in the recent apps list, thus preventing it from being easily swiped away or killed by the system."
To achieve this level of adaptability, the malware sends Gemini a natural language prompt along with an XML dump of the current screen that gives detailed information about every UI element. This includes its text, type, and exact position on the display. Gemini then processes this information and responds with JSON instructions that tell the malware what action to perform (e.g., a tap) and where to perform it.
The multi-step interaction continues until the app is successfully locked in the recent apps list and cannot be terminated. The findings from ESET suggest that PromptSpy prevents itself from being uninstalled by overlaying invisible elements on the screen, making it challenging for users to remove without rebooting their device into Safe Mode, where third-party apps are disabled.
Instead of hardcoded taps, PromptSpy simply hands Gemini a snapshot of the screen and receives precise, step-by-step interaction instructions in return. This helps it achieve a persistence technique resistant to UI changes. The use of Gemini AI by PromptSpy highlights the evolving nature of Android malware, which is increasingly relying on sophisticated techniques to evade detection.
Moreover, the fact that PromptSpy targets users in Argentina, as suggested by analysis of language localization clues and distribution vectors, suggests that the campaign may be financially motivated. However, more research is needed to confirm this hypothesis and understand the full extent of the threat posed by PromptSpy.
In conclusion, the discovery of PromptSpy highlights the growing threat of AI-powered malware on Android devices. As threat actors continue to evolve their tactics, it is essential for mobile security professionals to stay vigilant and develop strategies to detect and mitigate such threats.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Evolution-of-Android-Malware-How-Gemini-AI-is-Being-Abused-by-Threat-Actors-to-Automate-Persistence-ehn.shtml
Published: Thu Feb 19 13:30:42 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
