OctagonPanel

Octagon Android RAT Poses as Bahrain Emergency Alert App to Steal Credentials and Establish Persistent Surveillance

A remote access trojan named Octagon targets Android devices by masquerading as the official emergency alerts application from Bahrain. The infection begins when victims download the BH-Alert.apk file from phishing websites. The malware guides users through seven steps to grant dangerous permissions while using encrypted code hidden inside a font file extension to evade static analysis. It installs a secondary component called OctagonPanel and deploys mutual-monitoring surveillance services that restart each other if terminated. Additional persistence is achieved through boot receivers, a fake Android account, and scheduled synchronization tasks every 30 minutes. The trojan abuses the Accessibility Service to record unlock patterns, PINs, and passwords while also harvesting SMS messages, contacts, call logs, and screenshots. A criminal-controlled VPN allows interception and redirection of victim traffic.