Hackers Spread Fake Red Alert Rocket Alert App to Spy on Israeli Users

Acronis TRU uncovered a deceptive Android spyware campaign that distributes a fake Red Alert rocket-warning app via SMS lures to Israeli users; the app functions like the legitimate service while secretly requesting 20 permissions to steal precise GPS location, SMS (including one-time passwords), contacts, account information and installed-app lists, then exfiltrates that data to a remote server using certificate spoofing and fake Play Store attribution—researchers believe Arid Viper (APT‑C‑23) or a similar actor is likely behind the operation.