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Google says Videostrong backdoor infected 1.3 million devices for botnet use
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.
In short
- 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.
Explained simply
Android TV set-top boxes connect televisions to online services, while similar software is used in equipment such as karaoke machines and digital displays. A botnet is a group of internet-connected devices that criminals control remotely, often without the owners knowing.
Google provides Android software and certifies some devices made by other companies. Videostrong is a Shenzhen-based manufacturer; Google says it found a backdoor, or hidden way to access devices, in products linked to the company and has ended its relationship with it.
Botnets can be used to generate fake advertising activity, steal information or send unwanted traffic across networks. The case matters because affected devices included products used at home and in public settings, and because Google says disrupting the servers used by criminal affiliates could affect access to many more compromised devices.
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Originally published by The Verge as “One of Google’s Android partners turned 1.3 million set-top boxes into a botnet”.