NGate Android Malware Steals NFC Data to Clone Cards

A new Android malware has been identified by cybersecurity researchers — NGate, which steals NFC (Near Field Communication) data from physical payment cards to enable counterfeit activities. The malware has been found targeting three banks in Czechia since November 2023.

NGate is derived from the legitimate NFCGate tool, which was initially developed in 2015 by students to capture, analyze, and alter NFC traffic. The malware exploits this tool's features to relay victims' payment card data via a malicious app on their Android devices to an attacker's rooted phone. This allows the attacker to replicate the card and withdraw funds from ATMs.

The Slovak cybersecurity company tracking NGate noted that the malware first appeared in March 2024. The campaign utilizes social engineering and SMS phishing to deceive users into installing NGate, often by redirecting them to fake banking websites or apps. Once installed, the app prompts users to enable NFC on their smartphones and place their payment card near the device. The malicious app then captures the card’s NFC data and transmits it to the attacker’s phone.

Researchers Lukáš Štefanko and Jakub Osmani highlighted that the malware, in addition to stealing NFC data, tricks users into entering sensitive banking information, including their client ID, birthdate, and PIN. This data is phished through a WebView (a mini-browser within the app), which shows a page that mimics legitimate banking interfaces. Victims are misled into thinking their accounts have been compromised, leading them to hand over the sensitive data and install the malicious NGate app.

In a statement shared with The Hacker News, Google confirmed that no NGate-infected apps were found on the Google Play Store. Furthermore, the company assured that Google Play Protect automatically defends against known versions of NGate, even when it’s downloaded from third-party sources.

The malware's activity has a track record of targeting financial institutions in the Czech Republic. However, this appears to have ceased following the arrest of a 22-year-old suspect in March 2024.

This discovery coincides with reports of a new variant of the Android malware Copybara, which also targets financial data through phishing tactics. Copybara uses the MQTT protocol for communication with its command-and-control server and abuses Android’s accessibility services to gain control over infected devices.