Malware from the factory: Budget smartphones with malware in 150 countries
Bitdefender researchers found malware directly in the firmware of Android devices, including in Germany. It can hardly be removed.
Security researchers at Romanian company Bitdefender have identified malware that is not installed after purchase but is already embedded in the factory firmware of low-cost Android smartphones.
Affected devices have been registered in around 150 countries, including Germany. This brings a problem into focus that conventional antivirus solutions can hardly solve.
Deeply rooted in the system
Since the malware resides in the firmware, the software layer that is loaded before the actual operating system, it survives even a reset to factory settings.
Conventional protection programs operate at the operating system level and do not even reach the deeper firmware. Affected users usually cannot remove the malware themselves.
Far-reaching access for attackers
According to Bitdefender researchers, the malware enables extensive access to infected devices. According to security experts, this includes, among other things, reading data and remote control of individual device functions.
Specific manufacturers or model series were not named in detail in the previous publication.
Budget devices are particularly affected
What is striking is that the problem appears mainly in budget-priced smartphones. Such devices are often produced by smaller manufacturers who purchase components and firmware components from third-party suppliers. The researchers suspect the origin of the infections is precisely at this interface in the supply chain.
Our consumers should exercise increased caution when purchasing cheap smartphones, for example from online marketplaces outside the European region. The European Union regulates product security and cybersecurity of networked devices, among other things, through the Cyber Resilience Act, which is gradually coming into force and obligates manufacturers to meet security standards.
Bitdefender, headquartered in Bucharest, is one of Europe's largest providers of IT security solutions and also supplies numerous companies and government agencies in Austria and Germany.
Source: DiePresse.com – Home | Original Article