Google and industry partners have dismantled the XCPE malware botnet consisting of more than 1.3 million Android TV streaming TV boxes that Google says its manufacturer intentionally infected with malware to generate revenue through cybercrime activities.

The company attributes the botnet with high confidence to Chinese device manufacturer Videostrong Technology Co, accusing the company of deliberately installing a persistent backdoor into devices it manufactured and selling access to criminal affiliates.

These affiliates used the backdoored devices to deploy malicious modules that were used fir ad fraud, turned infected devices into residential proxies, and installed additional malware.