SparkCat malware scans phone photos for crypto seed phrases and steals funds

Kaspersky has identified a malware called SparkCat that hides inside ordinary-looking applications, including some distributed through official app stores. It scans the photo gallery for seed phrases, which are often stored as screenshots or photos, and sends them to attackers. Once an attacker has a seed phrase, the victim's cryptocurrency can be drained. The article advises keeping seed phrases offline in a secure, durable location, avoiding storing them on connected devices, and considering hardware wallets with a screen rather than software wallets on phones or computers. The piece was originally published on 0xalert.com, a crypto asset protection service that promotes its own paid auditing and alert offerings.