According to the experts of Human Security A new type of malware spread that is as frightening as it is effective is becoming increasingly widespread.
We are talking about the sale of mobile devices e TV Box with operating system Androidon which the manufacturers themselves install a malware when the devices are still in the factory. The products in question, manufactured in China, would already be sold with the backdoor known as Triad.
The researchers, in this sense, have analyzed more than 74.000 smartphone, tablets and TV Boxes that showed obvious signs of such infection. The devices thus manipulated, apparently, are capable of stealing information from the user, performing various fraudulent activities as well as stealing personal data from the unsuspecting victim.
The technique used, called BADBOX, is implemented on a large scale, therefore it is difficult to counteract. Second Gavin Reidhead of IT security at Human Security “This backdoor operation is deceptive and dangerous because it is nearly impossible for users to figure out if their devices are compromised“.
He then added that “Of the devices that Human purchased from online retailers, 80% were infected with BADBOX, which shows how widely they circulated on the market“.
Android devices with pre-installed malware: this is nothing new for Human Security experts
If the BADBOX operations have taken on an enormous scale, it must be said that Human Security has been investigating this context for almost a year now.
In fact, in 2022, experts discovered a first “advertising fraud module” which allowed attackers to propose hidden ads complete with scams to the detriment of users. At the time, a cybercriminal group known as PEACHPIT which specialized in malware pre-installed on smartphones.
Per Marion Habibydata scientist at Human “The cyber criminals behind PEACHPIT used methods such as hidden advertising, spoofed web traffic, and malvertising to monetize their system and defraud the advertising industry“.
Human Security has partnered with tech giants Google e Apple to disrupt PEACHPIT operations by sharing information with law enforcement.
