Dark web drug markets have started to utilise custom Android applications for their transactions and increase privacy to evade the authorities. These apps could now enable sellers and buyers to communicate within the platform and add specific requests for orders.
Researchers throughout the third quarter of last year have observed this new strategy from cybercriminals. Experts believed that the recent takedowns of black markets, such as the Hydra Market caused the transition of online markets to apps.
The infamous Hydra Market is the frontrunner of drug sales, home to nearly 20,000 sellers and about 17 million customers globally. Law enforcement agencies from Germany have confiscated its servers that wiped out all its transactions and operations.
The dark web drug markets and their buyers could now transition to Android.
According to investigations, some dark web drug markets have exploited Hydra’s absence in the landscape and created their marketplace through Android apps.
There are seven notorious samples of Android app APKs that offer customers various illegal products and services. Researchers stated that these APKs are Yakudza, TomFord24, 24Deluxe, PNTS32, Flakka24, 24Cana, and MapSTGK.
In addition, all seven platforms have used the M-Club CMS engine to create their APKs; hence, they must have used a similar developer service.
Based on reports, mobile applications could enable buyers to transfer details regarding successful drug orders and send geographical coordinates for the sellers to drop their packages. This ability could generate more transactions quickly as the buyer/seller gives specific details through the APKs.
Other information is also transmitted as an image to avoid possible indexing. Some may contain details on how deep the ordered product has been hidden or any info for tracing.
Therefore, authorities might have difficulty locating these transactions since multiple orders could create fragmentation and stretch their ability to find the criminals.
Cybersecurity experts believe that more illegal marketplaces will emerge this year, gradually replacing open market platforms as a source of malicious products.
