Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)--Japan's National Police Agency said Wednesday that, in cooperation with Google LLC, it has detected malware in Android TV devices produced by a Chinese manufacturer and sold by mass retailers around the world and online.

According to the NPA, the Chinese manufacturer received orders to produce these devices and embedded the malware into them without authorization from its clients.

Once connected to a household network, the malware automatically accesses an external server and installs an app on the devices to steal information necessary for hacking, such as IP addresses. This stolen information has been sold to hackers and used for cyberattacks.

Google's survey found that more than 1.3 million devices have been affected by the malware. The U.S. technology giant has taken countermeasures, including deleting related servers.

According to the NPA, this is the first case in which malware was included in devices without the knowledge of retailers or consumers. Meanwhile, there are many cases in which downloaded apps control devices.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]