Malware Pre-Installed on Android Phones
Return To ArticleAvast, a Czech anti-virus company, posted its findings of malware discovered pre-installed in brand new Android devices, May 24.
The list of affected devices included products by ZTE, Archos and Prestigio. Affected devices were discovered to be not certified by Google, said the company.
The ad related malware, or adware, called Cosiloon, first came to the attention of Russian anti-malware company Dr. Web in 2016. According to the analysis by Avast, the adware has been active since then because no security measures were taken from both firmware developers and device manufacturers. This is also the reason why the adware made it into newer smartphones when other malware have already been addressed in more recent software.
