Google cuts ties with Android partner that hijacked 1.3 million devices

· Tech · United States · China

Google said one of its Android manufacturing partners secretly built a backdoor into 1.3 million devices and turned them into a botnet. The company said it has dismantled the backdoor and cut ties with the manufacturer, Shenzhen, China-based Videostrong Technology Co., which has been banned from building or selling devices under Google's Android ecosystem rules. The disclosure highlights the supply-chain risk carried by third-party device makers that license Android and ship hardware through global channels, and the scale of the hijacked fleet puts the incident among the larger known Android botnet episodes.

Why it matters：It exposes how firmware-level compromise at a contract manufacturer can reach millions of consumer devices, sharpening scrutiny of Android licensing and device supply chains.

Key points

  • Videostrong Technology is based in Shenzhen, China.
  • Google says it has dismantled the backdoor and banned the manufacturer from building or selling Android devices.
  • The affected fleet numbered 1.3 million set-top boxes and similar devices.

Sources (original reporting)

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