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Potentially millions of Android TVs and phones come with malware preinstalled
- deafpolygon 3y agoI mean, Android is practically malware on its own.
- DANmode 3y agoGoogle Android, or AOSP?
- deafpolygon 3y agoIs that a real question?
- hammyhavoc 3y agoDon't deflect. Answer the question then explain why it is "malware". Is it thus any more "malware" than HN is? HN doesn't even let you delete your account. Intent, however, is everything.
- deafpolygon 3y ago"Practically". Is it actually malware? It depends on your perspective, I suppose. Most flavors (for lack of a better word) of Android serve as a vehicle to collect data on its users. I consider this a form of malware (since the definition is "software that is designed to disrupt, damage, or _gain unauthorized access_ to a computer system"). While AOSP is less so, since it is open source after all, it is still often used to create versions of Android that spy on its users. But I digress. In practice, most Android devices are woefully outdated and cannot be upgraded to a current version - they are susceptible to being compromised, or may already be compromised. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/05/potentially-millions-of-android-tvs-and-phones-come-with-malware-preinstalled/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/05/poten... https://www.techradar.com/news/this-dangerous-new-malware-also-has-ransomware-capabilities https://www.techradar.com/news/this-dangerous-new-malware-al... https://www.tomsguide.com/news/this-new-android-malware-is-stealing-passwords-and-2fa-codes-what-you-need-to-know https://www.tomsguide.com/news/this-new-android-malware-is-s... Much of it is in their own App Store, or arriving to users pre-installed.
- f1refly 3y agoGiven that most android devices transfer ungodly amounts of data to Google, nobody should be surprised by that headline.
- hammyhavoc 3y agoGoogle isn't using the devices as a botnet though.