GodFather is an Android banking trojan focused on theft of financial credentials, personal information, and authentication data from mobile users. First observed around 2020, it has been associated with campaigns targeting hundreds of banking institutions, cryptocurrency wallets, and exchanges across multiple countries, with notable activity reported in Europe and Turkey. The malware is commonly distributed through fake Android applications and malicious websites, including lures themed as music applications, and newer campaigns have used multistage droppers that socially engineer users into permitting side-loaded installation and then deploy the core payload.
On infected devices, GodFather abuses Android Accessibility Services to monitor user interaction, read on-screen content, press buttons, launch applications, and capture text entered into fields. It is capable of keylogging and is reported in some analyses to rely primarily on keylogging rather than overlay-based credential theft, although other reporting also attributes overlay attacks to the family. Additional capabilities include screen recording, VNC-enabled remote control, interception and theft of SMS messages and push notifications to bypass two-factor authentication, sending SMS messages, forwarding calls, executing USSD requests, collecting contact lists, gathering device and cellular network information, and exfiltrating stolen data to command-and-control infrastructure. It has also been observed establishing WebSocket-based command-and-control communications and operating proxy functionality on compromised devices.
Recent technical analyses describe sophisticated packing and obfuscation in GodFather delivery components, including archive tampering, string obfuscation, dynamic DEX loading, and staged payload decryption, as well as installation workflows designed to bypass newer Android security restrictions around side-loaded apps and sensitive permissions. Once the core payload is launched, it seeks Accessibility privileges to transition into full banking-trojan or spyware functionality. GodFather remains a significant mobile threat because it combines credential theft, remote device control, and authentication interception to enable account takeover and fraudulent financial transactions.
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29 distinct techniques documented for this family, organized by ATT&CK tactic.
Upon execution, the malware requests activation of its accessibility service under the name of “Müzik”. It is observed that the malware uses accessibility rights to press buttons on the screen, read user inputs such as user clicks, run applications, and monitor what users have typed in a certain text field.
Upon execution, the malware requests activation of its accessibility service under the name of “Müzik”. It is observed that the malware uses accessibility rights to press buttons on the screen, read user inputs such as user clicks, run applications, and monitor what users have typed in a certain text field.
The second stage of the dropper bypasses the Restricted Settings feature added by Google on Android 13... prompting the user to allow installations from unknown sources specifically for this app... Once active, the core program immediately requests Accessibility Service privileges, enabling it to bypass user interaction barriers.
The malware uses the encrypted strings at runtime by decrypting them using the blowfish algorithm.
Upon execution, the malware requests activation of its accessibility service under the name of “Müzik”.
Each file is passed to the decryptFile() function, which handles two key operations: decompression and decryption... Step 1: Decompression (DEFLATE Algorithm)... Step 2: DES Decryption... This decryption step transforms the compressed and encrypted payloads into valid, readable DEX files.
When the user interacts with the AlertDialog... the dropper initiates a new app installation process via the Android PackageInstaller API... session.commit(...).
When the user opens a targeted app, the malware displays a fake or malicious overlay on top of the active window of the targeted app. The opened malicious window is the same as the legitimate app. This allows the attacker to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or other sensitive data, by tricking the user into entering it into the overlay.
Utilizing keylogging, Godfather monitors users’ keystrokes, steals entered data, and tracks user interactions.
AbstractEmu can collect device IP address and SIM information; Android/SpyAgent has collected device network information, such as the IMEI and the phone number; ANDROIDOS_ANSERVER.A gathers the device IMEI and IMSI; many listed mobile malware families collect IMEI, IMSI, ICCID, MEID, serial number, phone number, MAC address, IP address, carrier, MCC/MNC, and related device/network identifiers.
After installing The malware on the device, it checks the device if it’s an emulator or not. If the malware is installed on the emulator, the malware will not run its malicious functions.
QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES gives the app visibility into all installed packages on the device... if ( ! isAppInstalled ( "com.heb.reb" ) ) { showDialog ( ) ; return ; }
The malware will collect information about the device that’s infected and send the collected information to the C2 server . The information which will be sent to the C2 server such as applist which will collect all the applications installed on the device, ag to get the user agent, sim to get the network operator name, phone to get the phone number of the device, model , and ver of the device.
When the user opens a targeted app, the malware displays a fake or malicious overlay on top of the active window of the targeted app. The opened malicious window is the same as the legitimate app. This allows the attacker to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or other sensitive data, by tricking the user into entering it into the overlay.
Utilizing keylogging, Godfather monitors users’ keystrokes, steals entered data, and tracks user interactions.
Godfather can transmit captured data to a command and control server. | Establishing WebSocket connections
AbstractEmu can use HTTP to communicate with the C2 server; AhRat can communicate with the C2 using HTTPS requests; BRATA can use both HTTP and WebSockets to communicate with the C2 server; LightSpy has used both HTTPS and Websockets to communicate with the C2.
The malware may also use the VNC connection to install additional malicious software on the device, making it part of a larger network of compromised devices
VNC can be used by the malware to gain remote control over an infected device, allowing the attacker to perform various malicious activities.
5 indicators attributed across vendor reports, sandbox runs, and researcher write-ups. Full values are available in Mallory.
IPs, domains, and DNS infrastructure linked to this family.
File hashes (MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256) from samples and reports.
Other indicator types observed in public reporting.
24 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
... GodFather ... (v1.0) ...
Banking malware that uses virtualization to mimic legitimate applications (likely to facilitate credential theft and transaction fraud).
GodFather (v1.0)
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Named campaigns wielding this family, with evidence pinned to each claim.
CVEs this family uses for access and lateral movement.
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Every documented technique, ranked by evidence weight.
Reddit, Mastodon, and CTI community discussion around this family.