Security researchers in China have discovered an Android mobile botnet which has infected more than one million users in the country.
Chinese news agency, Xinhua, reported that the devices had been infected by a Trojan-based attack first discovered in 2011.
Kingsoft Duba first discovered the ‘Andorid.Troj.mdk’ Trojan in 2011, which is said to be hidden in more than 7,000 apps including games like Fishing Joy and Temple Run.
The ‘Andorid.Troj.mdk’ Trojan botnet, once installed, enabled the attacker to remotely control the victim’s smartphone, steal sensitive data, as well as download and install additional apps.
According to ThreatPost, last year a similar Android botnet, Rootstrap, infected over 100,000 devices and scammed users into sending fake SMS messages.
In September 2012, a report from International Data Corporation (IDC) found that the IT security hardware market revenues of China are expected to reach $1.4bn in 2016.
Last year, the US House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee said that Chinese telecom firms including Huawei and ZTE should be barred from doing business in US market as they pose a security threat to the country.
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