Google revealed that its Android manufacturing partner Videostrong secretly installed a backdoor in 1.3 million Android TV set-top boxes, turning them into a botnet used for ad fraud, data exfiltration, and unauthorized traffic routing. Google has since dismantled the backdoor and banned Videostrong from producing or selling certified Android devices.
Background
Google manages the Android device certification program that manufacturers must pass to pre-install Google services. Videostrong, a Shenzhen-based company, was an authorized Android TV partner until this incident.
- Source
- The Verge
- Published
- Nov 3, 2026 at 04:37 AM
- Score
- 8.0 / 10