Covered by 2 outlets — first reported by The Hacker News, Nov 2, 15:50 UTC
Google Disrupts 1.3 Million-Device Android Botnet, Says TV Box Maker Sold Criminal Access
Summary
Google has disrupted a botnet of more than 1.3 million Android devices, mostly TV set-top boxes, after its servers lost control in a takedown led by Google in late October. Google says it is highly confident that device maker Videostrong intentionally put a backdoor in the boxes and sold access to criminals, who used them for ad fraud and to route other people's internet traffic through owners' home connections. CyberScoop reports the devices were certified Android products that shipped with pre-installed malware and evaded Google's security tests over a period of years.
AI summary by the SecurityTabs newsroom, checked against The Hacker News, CyberScoop. Read the outlets below for the full story.
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2 outlets, in the order they reported it.
The Hacker NewsFirst report
Google Disrupts 1.3 Million-Device Android Botnet, Says TV Box Maker Sold Criminal Access
A botnet of more than 1.3 million Android devices, mostly TV set-top boxes, lost control of its servers in late October in a takedown led by Google.
CyberScoop
Google shuts down global botnet running on certified Android devices
Videostrong sold TV set-top boxes and other devices with pre-installed malware. The yearslong operation evaded Google’s security tests and established a botnet for cybercriminals.
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