[The Register] More Androids carry phone-home firmware

[The_Librarian]

Got a cheap-and-cheerful Android phone from BLU, Infinix, Doogee, Leagoo, IKU, Beeline or Xolo? It might be harbouring some badware in the firmware.

The issue affects phones that use an over-the-air update mechanism from Chinese company according to BitSight researcher Dan Dahlberg and Anubis Networks' João Gouveia and Tiago Pereira.

Since a firmware update runs at root, the phones in question are vulnerable to pretty much anything a malicious server might install. Which means a keylogger, bugging software, or anything else an attacker might contemplate.

Rest of the article is here : http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/20/more_androids_carry_phonehome_firmware/

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

but then again IOS is one giant sponge of your personal information,

suprised this is even news....

 

[backstreetboy]

It's what happens when you buy a smartphone from an "unknown" company with a Android skin that is probably not open source. Xiaomi with MIUI ftw!