Overview

• Cybersecurity experts warn the steganographic malware is spreading rapidly due to its stealth and difficulty of detection.
• The scam uses least significant bit techniques to embed malicious software in common image formats such as .jpg and .png.
• In a recent Madhya Pradesh case, a 28-year-old man lost nearly Rs 2 lakh after his device was infected by a forwarded image.
• Commercial antivirus programs typically fail to detect hidden code in media files, leaving users vulnerable to unauthorized data access and transactions.
• Users should disable automatic media downloads, avoid opening files from unknown contacts and restrict group invite permissions.