Problems for users who have an Android TV device, especially the increasingly popular decoders that, for many people, are crucial in everyday life. There is a virus that has already been installed on more than a million devices and that is giving serious headaches to security experts. If you have one of the affected models, it will be advisable to take measures.
Dr.Web, a specialist antivirus company, has discovered that a malware called Android.Vo1d is circulating on Android TV. According to their information, the virus is spreading unstoppably and has already infected more than 1.3 million Android TV boxes. The infection has occurred worldwide, affecting a total of 197 countries.
Which models are at risk?
There are three devices that are being affected by this malware and you may have one of them, as these are models that are commonly sold in online stores. One of these models is the R4, which has the Android 7.1.2 operating system and the R4 Build/NHG47K firmware. The TV Box model is also at risk, which has Android 12.1 and the TV BOX Build/NHG47K firmware. Finally, the third decoder that is at risk of being infected by this virus is the one known as KJ-SMART4KVIP, which has the Android 10.1 operating system and the KJ-SMART4KVIP Build/NHG47K firmware.
If you have one of these devices, you should check if the firmware version you have is the same as the one we have indicated. It could be that your decoder is updated to a later version, so it is possible that, in that case, you are not exposing yourself to any risk.
What can this virus do?
For now, it seems that there is still much to discover about this malware. The specialists who discovered it mention that the problem lies in the Android.Vo1d.1 module that the virus has, which becomes the control center of the infection. Cybercriminals not only have the opportunity to control absolutely all the activity that takes place on the decoder, but they can also restart it or install applications remotely. This is an additional problem and risk, since it opens up a world of possibilities for hackers who take advantage of it.
The virus has other modules that it also uses to continue the infection, monitor folders that the device has access to or install APK files in a completely free manner. As mentioned by the security specialists who discovered it, they still do not know where the virus comes from or who is taking advantage of it. What they do insist on is how it is specifically attacking Android TV decoders that are not updated with recent versions of the platform or that do not instantly install the security patches that are distributed.
The only good news is that, since it’s an Android TV box, it’s clear that the device won’t have access to the same personal and private data that you would have on your phone or computer. That doesn’t mean you should feel any better about it, though. After all, you probably have user accounts saved on your Android TV device, such as those for the streaming services you subscribe to.
Therefore, if you have one of the above-mentioned set-top boxes, it would be best to delete your user accounts for the time being and, above all, to keep an eye on whether its firmware is updated. Ideally, manufacturers would release system updates, but you never know whether they will react in time or not.
