# Google says Videostrong backdoor infected 1.3 million devices for botnet use

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/one-of-googles-android-partners-turned-1-3-million-set-top-boxes-into-a-botnet/
- Published: 2026-11-02T20:37:49+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T20:47:31+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/tech/1024807/google-botnet-android-tv-shut-down
- Topics: Art, Asia, Business, Companies, Culture, Gadgets, Technology, World

## Key points

- Google found a backdoor in 1.3 million devices.
- Videostrong has been barred from certified Android device work.
- Infections also affected other Android-based devices.

## Summary

Google says Videostrong Technology secretly installed a backdoor in 1.3 million devices, which were then used as a botnet without their owners’ knowledge. The company says it has dismantled the backdoor and cut ties with the Shenzhen-based manufacturer, barring it from making or supplying software for certified Android devices.

The infected devices were used for ad fraud, data theft and unauthorised network traffic, with Videostrong allegedly selling criminal affiliates access and malware modules for financial gain. Most affected devices were Android TV set-top boxes, though the malware also appeared in telehealth equipment, karaoke machines and digital signage; Google says disrupting affiliate command servers could cut access to at least 10 million more compromised devices.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.