Telecom
New Android Trojan Hijacks Facebook Accounts
A previously unseen Android Trojan dubbed FlyTrap has targeted at least 140 countries since March this year, spreading to more than 10 000 victims via social media hijacking, third-party app stores, and sideloaded applications.
This was revealed by Zimperium’s zLabs mobile threat research teams, who recently found several previously undetected applications using the company’s z9 malware engine and on-device detection.
After a forensic investigation, the researchers ascertained that FlyTrap is part of a family of Trojans that use social engineering to compromise Facebook accounts. They also believe that bad actors out of Vietnam are running the campaign.
Initially, these Trojans were distributed through both Google Play and third-party application stores. Zimperium zLabs reported the findings to Google, who verified the provided research and removed the malware from the Google Play store.
Unfortunately, they are still available on third-party, unsecured app repositories, highlighting the risk of sideloaded applications to mobile endpoints and user data. Sideloading is the process of downloading and installing apps onto a mobile device from an unofficial source.
What it does
FlyTrap poses a threat to the victim’s social identity by hijacking their Facebook accounts via the Trojan that infects their Android device. The information collected from the victim’s Android device includes Facebook ID, location, e-mail, IP address, and cookies and tokens associated with the accounts in question.
Hijacked Facebook sessions can be used to spread the malware by abusing the target’s social credibility through personal messaging containing links to the Trojan, as well as propagating propaganda or disinformation campaigns using the victim’s geolocation details.
According to the researchers, these social engineering techniques are very effective in today’s digital world and are often employed by attackers to spread malware.
How it works
The malefactors employed a variety of themes they believed users would find appealing such as free Netflix coupon codes, Google AdWords coupon codes, and voting for the best football (soccer) team or player.
At first available through Google Play and third-party stores, the application fooled users into downloading and trusting the application using high-quality designs and social engineering.
Following installation, FlyTrap displays pages that engage the user and elicit a response from them. “The engagement continues until the user is shown the Facebook login page and asks to log in to their account to cast their vote or collect the coupon code or credits,” the researchers say.
However, this is all yet another trick to mislead the user since no voting or coupon code is generated. Instead, the final screen attempts to justify the fake code by displaying a message claiming the “Coupon expired after redemption and before spending.”
The researchers say that although the popular belief is that a phishing page is always at the vanguard of compromising or hijacking an account, there are other ways to hijack sessions, such as by logging into the original and legitimate domain.
This Trojan exploits one such technique known as JavaScript injection. “Using this technique, the application opens the legit URL inside a WebView configured with the ability to inject JavaScript code and extracts all the necessary information such as cookies, user account details, location, and IP address by injecting malicious JS code.”
Exploiting misconceptions
Bad actors often leverage common user misconceptions that logging into the correct domain is always secure regardless of the application being used to log in. “The targeted domains are popular social media platforms and this campaign has been exceptionally effective in harvesting social media session data of users from 144 countries.”
In addition, these accounts can be employed as a botnet for a variety of purposes, including boosting the popularity of pages, sites or products, to spreading misinformation or political propaganda.
Much like any user manipulation, the high-quality graphics and official-looking login screens are popular schemes to trick users into taking action that could reveal sensitive information.
Ongoing threats against mobile devices
According to the researchers, FlyTrap is simply another example of the ongoing, active threats against mobile devices that aim to steal credentials.
“Mobile endpoints are often treasure troves of unprotected login information to social media accounts, banking applications, enterprise tools, and more. The tools and techniques used by FlyTrap are not novel but are effective due to the lack of advanced mobile endpoint security on these devices.”
The company advises to be vigilant for any red flags which might indicate a phone has been hacked or infected with mobile malware, including a battery that runs out too quickly, relentless pop-ups, or strange applications that the user hasn’t downloaded.
In addition, any degradation of performance, or airtime and other cellular charges that make no sense are something to be wary of.
Protecting devices
Zimperium’s zLabs advises users to protect themselves and their devices by only downloading apps or updating apps via official app stores, and never clicking on a WhatsApp or SMS link that attempts to trick the user into updating an app, downloading an app or installing anything.
The company also advises to be aware of mobile phishing, and links to sites that are trying to steal personal information, such as username and passwords. Also, it says to never root or jailbreak a device as this negates the built-in security, and advises to install a good anti-malware app.
Finally, be selective about what is downloaded. Anyone who suspects their device is infected should attempt to remove the suspicious app. They could attempt to go back in time and restore the device as a new device from a previous backup or if it’s still persistent they may need to do a full reset.
Nigeria, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has won the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) prize for its project, the Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), under Category C3, which is on Access to Information and Knowledge.
L–R: Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, receives the WSIS 2025 Prize (Category C3: Access to Information and Knowledge) from the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, following the selection of the Commission’s Digital Awareness Programme (DAP) as winner of the category.
The DAP, one of hundreds of projects submitted for the WSIS Prizes competition 2025, received the highest number of votes in its category, earning it the top honour. The programme equips secondary schools across the country with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources and provide internet connectivity to support teaching, learning, and research. Since inception in 2006, over 300 schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones have benefitted from the programme.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, received the award during the WSIS Prizes Winners 2025 Ceremony held on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Maida thanked the hosts, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and WSIS, for recognising Nigeria’s efforts in promoting inclusive digital access across Nigeria, noting that the award would serve as further motivation for the Commission.
“This recognition is more than a celebration of past efforts—it is an encouragement to press forward. It affirms that investing in digital inclusion is investing in national development, and that Nigeria’s work is being seen and valued on the global stage,” Dr. Maida said.
Four other Nigerian projects—the Women Techsters and the Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADEPTI) under Capacity Building, the Telecom-Based Research Grant Initiative under Enabling Environment, and the Digital Learning Initiative under e-Learning—were also celebrated for their nomination for the Champions Category of Projects at the WSIS Prizes Ceremony. Although they were not among the top-voted entries, they were acknowledged for their significant merit and impact.
The WSIS Prizes competition recognises and promotes projects that effectively leverage ICTs to advance sustainable development. The competition showcases how technology can serve as a powerful tool for addressing global challenges and achieving the SDGs. Projects from around the world are recognised annually, highlighting diverse approaches to building an inclusive information society.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a United Nations (UN) initiative aimed at building a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information society. It provides a multi-stakeholder platform to address issues related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their role in achieving sustainable development.
The Forum is an annual event that brings together high-level representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, the technical community, and international organisations. It serves as a global platform for implementing the WSIS Action Lines, which are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given telecom tower operators in the country August 2025 deadline to fix persistent network hitches in their facilities or face regulatory sanctions.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, reportedly gave the ultimatum during a high-level meeting with key industry players, attended by representatives of IHS Towers, American Tower Corporation (ATC), and Pan-African Towers, and mobile network operators (MNOs) in Abuja
According to sources, discussions at the meeting focused on the recurring challenges in the telecoms sector, particularly power failures, equipment malfunctions, and insufficient site maintenance, that have been causing poor Internet and call services in the country
Specifically, Maida tasked the tower operators on the imperative of complying with the NCC’s updated Quality of Service (QoS) framework, which now extends performance obligations to infrastructure providers, not just telecom service providers.
According to him, the timeline given by the commission is more than enough time for all parties to align with the performance standards expected of them.
Recently, to ensure compliance with the standards, the NCC introduced a Major Incident Reporting Portal for real-time outage disclosures; developed public performance dashboards to enhance transparency; mandated that telecom tower companies meet strict Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Although the tower operators had previously cited delayed payments from MNOs as a reason for service lapses, the NCC had dismissed the justification, insisting that all parties must meet their obligations.
The EVC maintained: “Operators must fulfill both their technical and financial responsibilities. Poor service delivery—regardless of internal disputes—will attract consequences.”
Available data on the telecom tower infrastructure shows that IHS Towers has the largest assets with 16,000–19,000 sites, (62% market share); compared to American Tower Corp’s (ATC’s) about 8,270 towers; and Pan-African Towers’ 760–1,000 sites nationwide.
The latest NCC’s August deadline is believed to be putting pressures on the tower operators to improve the quality of their facilities for improved services as the commission had hinted of its plan to sanction defaulting operators with fines or stricter regulatory actions.
Industry experts believe that the NCC’s directive is a welcomed development as it will ensure reliable Internet connectivity and improved services quality for telecom consumers in the country.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to play a pivotal role at the upcoming 6th edition of the Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF 6.0), where it will lead a critical discussion on the sustainable growth of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in Nigeria.
Set against a backdrop of innovation and opportunity, this forum, organized by Business Remarks, aptly themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s MVNO Potential: Status, Trends, Investment, and Future Prospects,” is scheduled for August 26, 2025. This event reinforces the nation’s commitment to fostering a robust, competitive, and inclusive telecommunications landscape.
The forum will bring together a diverse array of key stakeholders from across the telecom ecosystem to deliberate on strategies for integrating MVNOs effectively into Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy. With the recent advancements in technology and the issuance of 43 MVNO licenses to new players, MVNOs are poised to significantly enhance service delivery, drive digital transformation, penetrate underserved markets, and stimulate healthy competition across the sector.
As the global MVNO market is experiencing significant growth, with projections indicating continued expansion, experts believe that with the right regulatory environment and access to infrastructure, emerging markets like Nigeria can leverage MVNOs to unlock new value for both operators (by utilizing excess network capacity) and customers. Customers can enjoy a rich array of niche value-added services tailored to their needs.
Having been proactive in introducing a five-tier MVNO licensing classification, each with distinct services and a 10-year validity period, signaling a clear path for new entrants, the telecom regulator (NCC) will deliver a keynote address outlining the Commission’s regulatory framework, interventions, and commitment to ensuring a conducive environment for MVNO operations.
Mrs. Bukola Olanrewaju, Convener of the forum and Managing Editor of Business Remarks, emphasized the importance of collaboration. “TSSF 6.0 is designed to be a melting pot of ideas, bringing together Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), MVNOs, telecoms infrastructure providers, Internet Service Providers, industry associations, and technology experts,” she said.
“Our goal is to ignite discussions that will shape the future of MVNOs in Nigeria, ensuring their sustainable growth and their critical role in extending digital prosperity across the nation.”
The forum will feature interactive sessions, thought-provoking panel discussions, insightful paper presentations, and abundant networking opportunities. This event aims to provide a platform for stakeholders to share insights, address challenges, and explore collaborative pathways for sustainable growth.
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