Google has disrupted a botnet of more than 1.3 million Android devices, predominantly TV set-top boxes, by taking control of its servers in late October.
The tech giant is highly confident that device maker Videostrong intentionally embedded a backdoor in the boxes and subsequently sold access to criminal actors.
These compromised devices were reportedly used for ad fraud and to route other individuals' internet traffic through the owners' home networks.
By the numbers
- Android devices in botnet
- 1.3 million
Sources and references
Original report
Google Disrupts 1.3 Million-Device Android Botnet, Says TV Box Maker Sold Criminal Access
The Hacker News
Read on The Hacker News (opens in a new tab)Ref 00K0C2PF
Cite this
APA
Interestana AI Editorial. (2026, November 2). Google Disrupts 1.3 Million-Device Android Botnet. Interestana. https://interestana.com/articles/google-disrupts-13-million-device-android-botnet-says-tv-box-maker-sold-criminal-access-00k0c2pf
MLA
“Google Disrupts 1.3 Million-Device Android Botnet.” Interestana, 2 Nov. 2026, interestana.com/articles/google-disrupts-13-million-device-android-botnet-says-tv-box-maker-sold-criminal-access-00k0c2pf.
Chicago
Interestana AI Editorial. “Google Disrupts 1.3 Million-Device Android Botnet.” Interestana, November 2, 2026. https://interestana.com/articles/google-disrupts-13-million-device-android-botnet-says-tv-box-maker-sold-criminal-access-00k0c2pf.
BibTeX
@misc{interestana_00k0c2pf,
author = {{Interestana AI Editorial}},
title = {{Google Disrupts 1.3 Million-Device Android Botnet}},
howpublished = {Interestana},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
url = {https://interestana.com/articles/google-disrupts-13-million-device-android-botnet-says-tv-box-maker-sold-criminal-access-00k0c2pf},
note = {Summary of reporting by The Hacker News, https://thehackernews.com/2026/11/google-disrupts-13-million-device.html}
}Credit the source
Original reporting: The Hacker News, “Google Disrupts 1.3 Million-Device Android Botnet, Says TV Box Maker Sold Criminal Access”, https://thehackernews.com/2026/11/google-disrupts-13-million-device.html(opens in a new tab)
Follow this story
Get Cybersecurity in your inbox — new stories in 40 words or fewer, once a week.
Subscribe