Indian cyber authorities have thwarted a sophisticated WhatsApp campaign that utilised counterfeit regulatory files to compromise Windows devices, hijack user accounts, and propagate malware across contact networks, safeguarding over 10,000 individuals.
India’s cyber authorities say they have disrupted a WhatsApp takeover campaign that used fake regulatory documents to infect Windows devices, hijack accounts and spread the malware further through victims’ contact lists. The Ministry of Home Affairs said the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, working through the Sahyog Portal, has blocked malicious command-and-control servers and protected more than 10,000 people so far.
According to the ministry, the campaign relies on compressed files sent over WhatsApp, SMS and email with names designed to look official, including references to the Reserve Bank of India or the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Once a recipient opens the archive on a desktop or laptop, a Trojan is installed, the device is compromised and the attacker gains access to the user’s active WhatsApp Web session.
The ministry said the malware then uses the stolen account to distribute the same file to the victim’s contacts and groups, often with a message urging recipients to pass it on to a company finance manager and open it on a computer for verification. Officials warned that the tactic is also being used to impersonate the Income Tax Department, widening the reach of the scam into business networks.
The warning follows earlier alerts from the Cyber Swachhta Kendra on related malware and social-engineering campaigns, including Android threats such as SpyMax and GravityRat, and Windows-focused droppers such as DriveSurge and SocGholish. Those advisories underline a broader trend: attackers are increasingly using trusted brands, fake updates and familiar messaging apps to trick users into installing malicious software and handing over sensitive information.
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