A new report reveals that malware is infiltrating various Android TV Boxes and sideloaded Streaming Apps or APKs.
This concerns affordable “generic Android TV Boxes” running a modified Android OS, commonly found in mobile devices and tablets.
In the past, occurrences of Android TV Box Malware have been documented, including devices with compromised firmware and more.
The report indicates a continuous trend of malware reaching these devices through multiple avenues.
The most recent trojan is being introduced to generic Android TV Boxes by different resellers.
Some of the affected devices include the Tanix TX6 TV Box, MX10 Pro 6K, and H96 MAX X3, among others.
Unfortunately, malware is not limited to these methods and is also present in downloadable streaming apps.
These apps are third-party applications not found in the Google Play Store, commonly used for streaming content.
It appears that harmful files are originating from popular APKs sideloaded onto Android TV devices for accessing movies, TV shows, and more.
Some APKs highlighted in the report are the popular YouCine APK, MagisTV, LatinaTV, and UNiTV.
Upon installation, these apps automatically launch on device startup and extract multiple files with elevated privileges.
The viruses associated with these infections appear to be a variant of the Pandora.10 backdoor, posing security risks like DDoS attacks via TCP and UDP protocols, opening a reverse shell, mounting Android TV system partitions in read/write mode, and more.
All these activities are highly dangerous and can lead to significant problems for the device and the security of the user’s data.
How to Protect Yourself from Android TV Malware
It is crucial to safeguard yourself when using generic Android TV Boxes.
As the origins of many of these devices are often unknown, they pass through various hands before reaching the end-user.
Your safest option is to buy a streaming device from reputable manufacturers like Amazon, Formuler, NVIDIA, BuzzTV, and others.
If you opt to continue using generic Android TV Boxes, we recommend installing Surfshark VPN and activating the CleanWeb feature for protection.
CleanWeb is an effective ad/malware blocker that safeguards streaming devices from infections and viruses.
Regular virus/malware scans on your Fire TV and Android TV/Google TV devices are essential, and our guide can assist you in this process.
How to Scan for Viruses on Firestick/Android TV with VirusTotal
If you are considering replacing your generic Android TV Box with a verified device, refer to our recommended resource guide below.
This report was originally released by Dr. Web; the link to the report is provided below.
Mirai Trojan Arrives on Android TV Devices
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