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Cheap set-top boxes are a tool for cybercriminals.
Thousands of owners of cheap Android TV devices are facing an unexpected threat. When buying a set-top box for streaming TV, no one expects that it will be infected with malicious software or start communicating with servers in China when turned on. However, this is exactly the reality that many unsuspecting owners expected.
In January, security researcher Daniel Milisic discovered that a cheap Android TV set-top box called T95 was infected with malware right out of the box. That was just the beginning. This week, Human Security revealed new details about the scale of infected devices and the hidden network of fraudulent schemes associated with them.
Researchers from Human Security found seven Android TV set-top boxes and one tablet with pre-installed backdoors. According to them, up to 200 different Android device models may be affected. In addition, the company announces the elimination of advertising fraud related to the scheme, which probably financed this operation.
Gavin Reid of Human Security, who runs the Satori Threat Intelligence and Research team, compared these devices to "a Swiss army knife for doing bad things online." He also added that the company shared information about the places where these devices could have been produced with law enforcement agencies.
The Human Security study is divided into two parts: Badbox, which deals with compromised Android devices and their involvement in fraud and cybercrime, and Peachpit, which deals with ad fraud involving at least 39 Android and iOS apps. Google has already removed the apps following a Human Security investigation, while Apple is reporting issues in several of the reported apps.
It's worth noting that cheap Android consoles, which usually cost less than $ 50, are sold online and in retail stores. These devices often do not have a brand or are sold under different names, which makes it difficult to determine their origin.
Thousands of owners of cheap Android TV devices are facing an unexpected threat. When buying a set-top box for streaming TV, no one expects that it will be infected with malicious software or start communicating with servers in China when turned on. However, this is exactly the reality that many unsuspecting owners expected.
In January, security researcher Daniel Milisic discovered that a cheap Android TV set-top box called T95 was infected with malware right out of the box. That was just the beginning. This week, Human Security revealed new details about the scale of infected devices and the hidden network of fraudulent schemes associated with them.
Researchers from Human Security found seven Android TV set-top boxes and one tablet with pre-installed backdoors. According to them, up to 200 different Android device models may be affected. In addition, the company announces the elimination of advertising fraud related to the scheme, which probably financed this operation.
Gavin Reid of Human Security, who runs the Satori Threat Intelligence and Research team, compared these devices to "a Swiss army knife for doing bad things online." He also added that the company shared information about the places where these devices could have been produced with law enforcement agencies.
The Human Security study is divided into two parts: Badbox, which deals with compromised Android devices and their involvement in fraud and cybercrime, and Peachpit, which deals with ad fraud involving at least 39 Android and iOS apps. Google has already removed the apps following a Human Security investigation, while Apple is reporting issues in several of the reported apps.
It's worth noting that cheap Android consoles, which usually cost less than $ 50, are sold online and in retail stores. These devices often do not have a brand or are sold under different names, which makes it difficult to determine their origin.
