New Manic Android malware can exfiltrate data through nearby devices

August 20, 2026 · BleepingComputer · Severity: HIGH

A new Android malware named Manic targeting users in multiple European countries has a fallback data exfiltration mechanism that uses nearby infected devices.

Key Takeaways

A new Android malware named Manic is targeting users across multiple European countries with sophisticated data theft capabilities.
Manic uses a unique fallback data exfiltration mechanism that leverages nearby infected devices to relay stolen information.
The malware's reliance on close-proximity device-to-device communication makes detection by traditional network monitoring challenging.