Google Disrupts 1.3 Million-Device Android Botnet, Says TV Box Maker Sold Criminal Access

Google led a takedown in late October disrupting a botnet of over 1.3 million Android devices, primarily TV set-top boxes. Google asserts with high confidence that device manufacturer Videostrong intentionally embedded a backdoor in their devices and sold access to criminal actors. The compromised devices were leveraged for ad fraud and as residential proxies, routing other users' internet traffic through the infected boxes. This case represents a significant supply chain security concern as the malicious backdoor was allegedly built in at the manufacturing level. The scale of 1.3 million devices makes this one of the larger Android botnets to be disrupted.