New Android Malware Steals Banking PINs and Relays Data Through Someone Else’s Infected Phones

Manic is a newly discovered Android malware family that merges banking-trojan fraud and deep spyware capabilities: it logs PINs via Accessibility overlay taps, hijacks banking sessions, performs live screen-sharing and remote control, and exfiltrates encrypted data by relaying it through nearby infected devices using Wi‑Fi Direct/Bluetooth/BLE when direct internet access is unavailable. Tracked since February 2026 with an advanced July variant and monitoring 169 apps across Ukraine and multiple European countries, Manic presents a high-risk, hard-to-contain threat to financial, identity, and communications apps; users should avoid sideloading, scrutinize Accessibility permissions, and keep Play Protect enabled.