Amazon Fire TV & Fire TV Stick hit by crypto mining Android malware

A traditional malware aims at stealing user data or keep an eye on victim’s online activities whereas depending on its capabilities a crypto mining malware not only steals data but also uses computing power (CPU) of victim’s PC to mine cryptocurrency and slow down its performance.

Recently, there has been a sudden surge in crypto mining malware targeting websites, unprotected Amazon web server (AWS) S3 buckets, Android devices including smartphones and Smart TVs. However, now, a crypto mining malware has been found targeting Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices to mine Monero cryptocurrency.

The malware that has been identified targeting Amazon devices is ADB.miner (also known as Android.CoinMine.15). This is the same malware that was previously found targeting Android-based Smart TV and smartphones – Since the targeted Amazon devices also use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) for uninterrupted internet connections it is no surprise that they are now under attack.

The malware uses mining code provided by Coinhive and installs itself as a seemingly unharming app called “Test” under the package name “com.google.time.timer.” Upon infecting the device, it uses device resources to mine cryptocurrency and disrupts video playback feature to display official Android logo along with a notification saying “Test” on the screen.

Coinhive code that is being used by hackers

It is noteworthy that if you are a Fire TV user and your device’s developer options are off ADB.miner cannot target your devices however if apps from unknown sources or ADB debugging feature has been enabled, your device can be targeted by ADB.miner.

The best way to protect yourself from ADB.miner is turning off the above-mentioned features but in case your device has already been infected AFTVnews suggests installing Total Commander app that will remove the ADB.miner from the system. Moreover, according to a thread on XDA forum, one of the available options is a factory reset.