Google Takes Legal Action Against ‘BadBox 2.0’ Botnet That Compromised More Than 10,000,000 Devices

Google, the tech giant, has taken legal action against a Botnet that targeted over 10 million Internet-of-Things (IoT) Android devices. This Botnet, known as BadBox 2.0, was discovered by Google’s cybersecurity experts, leading to a lawsuit being filed in a New York federal court.

According to Google, BadBox 2.0 exploited more than 10 million uncertified devices running on the Android open source operating system. The malware installed on these devices was used for large-scale ad fraud and other digital crimes. The original BadBox was taken down in 2023, but BadBox 2.0 emerged the following year and has been active ever since.

Google has already taken steps to address the threat posed by BadBox 2.0 by updating its security measures to automatically block any applications associated with the malicious botnet. In a blog post, cybersecurity firm HUMAN, a partner of Google, detailed how BadBox 2.0 operates.

The botnet infects low-cost consumer devices with backdoors, allowing threat actors to remotely load fraud modules. These devices communicate with command-and-control servers controlled by various threat actors. The botnet leverages software and hardware supply chains or distributes seemingly harmless applications containing ‘loader’ functionality to infect devices and applications with backdoors. Once a fraud module is deployed, infected devices can become part of a botnet and carry out various attacks.

Some of the attacks facilitated by BadBox 2.0 include programmatic ad fraud, click fraud, residential proxy services, account takeovers, fake account creations, DDoS attacks, malware distribution, and theft of one-time passwords. It is important to note that Android TV OS devices or Play Protect-certified Android devices were not impacted by this exploit.

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In conclusion, Google’s legal action against BadBox 2.0 highlights the ongoing battle against cyber threats and the importance of cybersecurity measures to protect IoT devices from malicious activities.