Budget Android Phones Shipped With Malware

Security researchers Bitdefender found an unidentified threat actor compromised the supply chain of multiple smartphone manufacturers, adding firmware-level malware before devices reached customers. Victims spanned 150 countries, with the highest concentration in Mexico, France, Italy, United States, Germany, Brazil, and Spain. The malware generated fraudulent ad revenue and turned infected devices into residential proxies for DDoS attacks and wire fraud.