Home » News » Malware Spotted on Amazon's Android TV Boxes, Specifically the AllWinner and RockChip Devices

Malware Spotted on Amazon's Android TV Boxes, Specifically the AllWinner and RockChip Devices

(Image Credit Google)
(Image credit- Bleeping Computer) Although AllWinner and RockChip are Chinese tech titans, their influence may be seen in the popularity of Android TV devices sold on Amazon. With the ability to incorporate many streaming services into one device, these accessible and highly adjustable gadgets have completely transformed home entertainment. According to the reports, they have earned impressive ratings and glowing reviews and have established themselves as a top option for consumers on a tight budget. Unaware customer Daniel Milisic bought an AllWinner T95 set-top box, only to find that it had dangerous software embedded in its firmware. When Milisic looked more closely, he saw that the Android-powered device was secretly in contact with command and control servers, waiting for orders. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Popular Android TV boxes sold on Amazon are laced with malware | TechCrunch Image credit- TechCrunch[/caption] Furthering his research, Milisic discovered a startling truth: his T95 model was but one component of a massive botnet made up of thousands of infected Android TV boxes dispersed over the world. According to the reports, who posted his results on GitHub, the malware's default payload is a click bot, a cunning piece of code created to make income by covertly clicking on advertisements in the background.

Coordinated cyberattacks: Android TV boxes are exploited by preloaded malware

The preinstalled malware quickly makes communication with a command and control server as soon as the compromised Android TV boxes are powered on and retrieves instructions on where to find further payloads that do ad-click fraud. Milisic emphasized that the malware's adaptable design gives its developers the freedom to release any payload they choose, heightening the risk. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1500"]Malware Found on Android TV Boxes on Amazon, Specifically AllWinner and RockChip Devices | Tech Times Image credit- Tech Times[/caption] Later, Bill Budington of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a security researcher, independently purchased an infected device from Amazon and verified the veracity of Milisic's findings. The AllWinner T95Max, RockChip X12 Plus, and RockChip X88 Pro 10 Android TV models, among others, were all found to be packed with the same sneaky spyware, according to further examinations.

The Danger of Botnets: A Web of Infected Devices

Large networks called "botnets," which contain hundreds to millions of infected devices, pose a serious threat. These rogue networks can be used by their operators for a variety of illicit activities, including cryptocurrency mining, data theft, and crippling distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that overwhelm websites and servers with uncontrollable traffic and make them unreachable. Also read: December Security Update Now Available for Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 & Galaxy Z Flip 4 Milisic pleaded with the internet provider that was hosting the command and control servers to take action in order to stop the larger botnet. As a result, the ad-click malware-hosting servers were eventually shut down. However, Milisic issued a warning that the botnet can reappear with new infrastructure, highlighting the ongoing difficulty of combating these shifting threats.  

By Monica Green

I am specialised in latest tech and tech discoveries.

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