Android devices ship with firmware-level malware
Sophos and Kaspersky identified Keenadu, a firmware-level backdoor pre-installed on Android devices from budget manufacturers (BLU, Ulefone, DOOGEE, etc.) affecting 500+ devices across 40 countries. The malware injects into libandroid_runtime.so via the Zygote process, achieving persistence across all apps and enabling second-stage payload delivery for ad fraud, credential theft, and data exfiltration. The compromise occurred at the firmware build phase, indicating a supply-chain attack at the OEM level.