TOKYO: Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) said Wednesday that, in cooperation with Google LLC, it had detected malware in Android TV devices produced by a Chinese manufacturer and sold by mass retailers worldwide and online.
According to the NPA, the Chinese manufacturer received orders to produce the devices but embedded the malware in them without the authorisation of its clients. Once connected to a household network, the malware automatically accesses an external server and installs an app on the devices to steal information needed for hacking, such as IP addresses. This stolen information has been sold to hackers and used in cyberattacks.
Google’s investigation found that more than 1.3 million devices had been affected by the malware. The US technology giant has taken countermeasures, including deleting related servers.
According to the NPA, this is the first known case of malware being embedded in devices without the knowledge of retailers or consumers.
Meanwhile, there are many cases in which downloaded apps control devices. Routing cyberattacks through compromised household appliances is believed to make it difficult to identify the attackers.
In 2025, the NPA confirmed 737 cases of unauthorised fund transfers involving Internet of Things (IoT) devices, with total losses of about ¥1.4 billion. Such devices were also used in more than 10 cyberattacks on companies this year.
