New Android Threat Raises Concern Over NFC Relay Attack Vulnerabilities

In recent times, there has been considerable concern with regards to some newly uncovered Android-based malware-as-a-service (Maas) platforms, particularly those based on Android and known as SuperCard X. This is because this platform was able to execute these attacks in near-field communication (NFC).

A sophisticated tool such as this enables threat actors to make unauthorised contactless payments, allowing them to withdraw money without requiring direct physical access to their cards. 

Through advanced near-field communication (NFC) relay techniques, this malware is able to allow threat actors to authorize illicit transactions at contactless-enabled ATMs and Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals without actually requiring the victim to give them their card details.

Using such methods, the attacker deceives users into installing a malicious Android application, during which their payment cards are tapped against their compromised devices. 

The sensitive data from the NFC tags is intercepted and relayed in real time to the attacker-controlled infrastructure while the attack is taking place.

It appears that the platform has been part of a Malware-as-a-Service MaasS) ecosystem for Chinese-speaking users. In addition, it appears to have a significant amount of code overlap with NGate, a malicious NFC toolkit that was previously documented by ESET in 2024. The campaign has had a wide-reaching impact on not only banking customers but also credit card issuers and payme

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