Google nixes a vast residential proxy botnet hidden in everyday devices
Google says it crippled IPIDEA, a massive residential proxy network that secretly turned millions of everyday devices into exit nodes for cybercrime. The network was embedded in hundreds of apps/SDKs and could route malicious traffic through real home connections, making it hard to detect. Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, in collaboration with partners, shut down dozens of IPIDEA domains, updated Google Play Protect to remove affected apps, and, overall, freed about nine million Android devices from the network alongside hundreds of compromised apps. While the infrastructure isn’t fully eradicated, the disruption significantly hampers operators and helps restore trust in users’ devices.
