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Google Says Android Partner Videostrong Turned 1.3 Million Set-Top Boxes Into Botnet
Google says Videostrong turned 1.3 million Android set-top boxes into a botnet and has cut ties with the maker.
Key points
- Videostrong has been banned from building or selling certified Android devices or supplying software for them.
- Infected devices were used without owners' knowledge for ad fraud, data exfiltration and routing unauthorized network traffic.
- Google made changes to its review process for device manufacturers after this incident.
Why it matters. The case shows malware can be built into devices and activated after users first boot them, and Google has changed how it reviews device manufacturers.
Google said it dismantled a backdoor that Shenzhen-based Videostrong Technology secretly built into 1.3 million devices, and cut ties with the manufacturer. The infected devices were used without owners' knowledge for ad fraud, data exfiltration and routing unauthorized network traffic. The company said Videostrong sold access to criminal affiliates, and that taking down their command-and-control domains will sever access to at least 10 million more compromised devices.
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Google Says Android Partner Videostrong Turned 1.3 Million Set-Top Boxes Into Botnet
Google says one of its Android manufacturing partners secretly built a backdoor into millions of devices and turned them into a botnet. The Verge reports that about 1.3 million set-top boxes were affected. The Register identified the company involved as Videostrong, which it accused of shipping devices with a backdoor built in. A botnet of this kind can be controlled remotely by an attacker, making infected devices a risk for users and networks. The case highlights how security flaws in low-cost hardware can reach consumers through trusted software partners.