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| Many cheap smartphone models are pre-installed with malware before leaving the factory. |
At the Black Hat Asia security conference, Trend Micro discovered that hackers had installed malicious firmware (programs stored on hardware, which control the operation of components and electronic devices). These components are often used on Android smartphones from lesser-known manufacturers.
Although Trend Micro did not announce the name of the smartphone brand that had the malware pre-installed, at least nearly 9 million devices from 10 smartphone brands contained the malware before being sold on the market.
This type of malware can steal information from the device such as reading messages, hijacking emails or social network accounts, etc. The hacker's purpose is to sell information for profit or take advantage of the smartphone to click on ads for illegal profit. This malware is very difficult to remove from the device because it is installed directly into the smartphone's firmware.
At this time, Trend Micro has not said which country the culprit behind this malware comes from. However, to avoid the risk of using a smartphone with pre-installed malware, users should choose a product with a reputable brand. Because large companies often invest in security and strictly select the supply chain.
This is not the first time Trend Micro has discovered malware pre-installed on smartphones before they are sold on the market. Previously, many technology devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones were also discovered to have malware pre-installed before they were shipped. Many of these devices were sold in Vietnam.
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