Keylogger Threat to the Android Mobile Banking Applications

Abstract

Android is presently the world’s most prevalent operating system, reaching more mobile customers than any other operating system to date by providing numerous services via smartphone and various android devices to make our life easy. Most of the android applications are developed by third-party android developers, android provides them an enormous platform to build their application. Modern cyber attackers are highly interested in this platform to access user’s sensitive information; with their own build malicious application or take amenities of other android developer’s application to spy on user’s activity. We have found that keyloggers can thieve personal information from users, such as credit card information or login pin/password from their typed keystroke in social networking and mobile banking apps. In case of mobile banking generally the mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets are being used for financial communications with the banks or financial institutions, by allowing clients and users to conduct a variety of transactions. In android app store (Google Play) keylogger apps are initially blocked but using some vulnerabilities in app permission it can be installed with benign and trusted apps. Both expert and maladroit android smartphone users use the mobile banking application, inexpert users are unable to find the vulnerabilities and attacker’s use this as an advantage to place an attack. The security android has provided for all the application is not sufficient for the sensitive application such as mobile banking application. In our paper, we discuss how attackers steal mobile banking app users sensitive information for their financial gain and also proposed a method to avoid keylogger attacks on android mobile banking apps.