Hackers have brewed up a strain of Android malware that uses compromised smartphones as conduits to attack routers.The Switcher trojan does not attack Android device users directly. Instead, the malware uses compromised smartphones and tablets as tools to attack any wireless networks they connect to.Switcher brute-forces access to the network’s router and then changes its DNS settings to redirect traffic from devices connected to the network to a rogue DNS server, security researchers at Kaspersky Lab report.This server fools the devices into communicating with websites controlled by the attackers, leaving users wide open to either phishing or further malware-based attacks.The attackers claim to have successfully infiltrated 1,280 wireless networks so far, mainly in China.
Source: New Android-infecting malware brew hijacks devices. Why, you ask? Your router • The Register
Why China especially? Because Google is forbidden there, so Chinese Android users are forced to use different app market places than the Play store.
Robin Edgar
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