Katarzyna Petru
SmartTube, a popular alternative to YouTube on Android TV, Google TV, and Fire TV, has been officially recognised as infected with malware. The issue pertains to versions installed via sideloading, as the app is not available in official stores.
The creator of SmartTube confirmed in a conversation with AFTVNews that malware infiltrated the app in November. The infection affected both new installations and updates marked with the version numbers 30.43 and 30.47. The culprit was the developer's computer – infected during work, which led to the compromise of the digital signature and contamination of the builds. Worse still, there are various forks of SmartTube that may also be compromised.
Google responded by mass-blocking or removing SmartTube on selected devices. The company reminds users that sideloaded apps do not undergo any security procedures – and that is precisely why Google plans to significantly restrict manual APK installations in the future.
What to do now?
Although it has not been disclosed exactly what type of malware infiltrated the application and what capabilities it may have, specialists from AFTVNews advise taking the matter seriously. Simply uninstalling will not be enough. The recommendation is clear:
reset the device to factory settings.
This applies to all devices on which SmartTube was installed:
Chromecast with Google TV, Google TV Streamer, Nvidia Shield, Nokia and Strong boxes, TCL Google TV, Philips Google TV, Sony Google TV, and many more. Since SmartTube may have had privileged access to Google and YouTube accounts, it is also worth monitoring account activity for a few days to ensure that there are no unusual logins, subscriptions, or changes to settings.
The creator assures that the latest version SmartTube 30.56 is now free from threats, but if the application was on the device earlier – a full reset is necessary. This is the first such high-profile case of infection in a popular sideloaded application on televisions, which shows one thing: if we bypass official sources, the risk is real, and the consequences can be more serious than just a malfunctioning application.
