Security News Some U.S. Android Phones Have Secret Backdoor That Sends Data to China

[Exterminator]

It looks like at least one handset manufacturer present on the United States market has serious security issues if we are to believe the latest reports coming from American authorities.

BLU Products, one of the companies that sells Android smartphones in the United States and some other countries from South America, had around 120,000 of its devices affected by a security exploit that could presumably send all text messages to China.

Security contractors have recently discovered a backdoor in the form of pre-installed software that monitors the location of the smartphone's user, as well as whom they talk to and what they write in their text messages.

The said software then sends all the information to China every 72 hours. The secret software has been developed by a Chinese company called Shangai Adups Technology and, according to its officials, it runs on more than 700 million phones worldwide.

So, the problem is not limited to those 120,000 Android smartphones launched by BLU Products in the United States after all.

Furthermore, the security company that found the backdoor, Kryptowire claims that Adups software transmitted the full contents of text messages, contact lists, call logs, location information and other data directly to a Chinese server, The New York Timesreports.

Handset makers aren't even aware of the backdoor on their phones
According to Adups officials, the software was designed to help Chinese phone manufacturers to monitor user behavior. Also, the company claims that the version of software found in BLU smartphones was not intended for U.S. phones.

In the meantime, BLU Products removed the secret software from within their smartphones, as soon as they were informed by the security contractors.

According to BLU's chief exec, Samuel Ohev-Zion, the presence of the backdoor was something that they weren't aware of, which is why they have move very quickly to remove it.

It's also worth mentioning that Chinese company Adups provides software to much larger handset makers like ZTE and Huawei, which sell their Android smartphones worldwide, not just in China.

 

[Dirk41]

So I have to alert my friends to throw their Huawey out of the window?

Thanks for sharing

 

[In2an3_PpG]

No offense to anyone that is Chinese in these forums but I'm really starting to get sick of the China.

Thanks for the share.

 

[Solarquest]

same here

Security bods find Android phoning home. Home being China

I couldn't find anywhere how to check phones and if and what AV detects it.

 

[ForgottenSeer 55474]

Thanks for sharing,and yes you could throw your Huawei out the window,i have had many android phones but now i got iPhone 6s plus

 

[Vipersd]

Which is also made in China!

 

[koko]

Thanks for the share

Bad news

 

[tim one]

That's why I use Adguard firewall to monitor the network traffic of the apps but the problem is to understand which of the illegitimate app can transmit data and above all what data are transmitted.

 

[Ink]

No offense to anyone that is Chinese in these forums but I'm really starting to get sick of the China.

Thanks for the share.

It's the companies that intend to spy on their citizens that you should be sick of, not the individuals.

 

[In2an3_PpG]

It's the companies that intend to spy on their citizens that you should be sick of, not the individuals.

Yes, i should of clarified.

Thanks Spawn.

 

[Vipersd]

Nobody forced Europian and USA companies to relocate their manufacturing facilities to China, only their greed.

 

[Entreri]

This should obvious to everyone, and anyone who buys Chinese smartphones should be accepting this as normal practice, anyone who did not was very foolish and naive. All their information went directly to the Chinese NSA, from texts, to video, photos, passwords, you name it.

They should also have some wonderful firmware level malware as well on their Chinese smartphones.

At least with American software companies backdoors, Western citizens still have some rights and freedoms. With The Donald in charge, this may slowly change even further for Americans.

It will be very interesting to see if they tried to install Chinese malware on Apple smartphones...I wouldn't think it would be successful, given how thoroughly Apple vets their products.

 

[Ana_Filiz]

One question arise here: how can be sure about the content or purpose of the data sent or in other words what do we know about the data sent out from our phones by various apps that connect to the internet?

 

[Dirk41]

One question arise here: how can be sure about the content or purpose of the data sent or in other words what do we know about the data sent out from our phones by various apps that connect to the internet?

You should read privacy policy . As far as they have one

 

[Vipersd]

Privacy Policy is total B.S. It is lawyer dreamland for covering behind fancy and not understandable text to average Joe out there.

Without clear and understandable examples shown before agreing to Privacy Policy how am I supposed to know what data is collected or send to developer or some company.

 

[Ana_Filiz]

You should read privacy policy . As far as they have one

ROFL.

 

[jamescv7]

Selling of information is already a basic pattern in technology aspect.

We have no choice to stop, unless time will come where conditions become below the belt [does not meet in the privacy policy] which we can report it.

 

[superboy123]

How about xiaomi smartphone product?

 

[Fritz]

Can't say I'm surprised really. If it can be done, it will be done. Period.

What really concerns me though are all the people who couldn't care less about being stripped naked regarding their data.

 

[Entreri]

Can't say I'm surprised really. If it can be done, it will be done. Period.

What really concerns me though are all the people who couldn't care less about being stripped naked regarding their data.

Knowledge is power. Chinese agents can manipulate, blackmail foreigners...they will be great tools for Chinese intelligence. Lots of people keep their entire lives on their smartphones. And anytime they want, they could conceivably empty piggy banks.

This kind of malware will not only be used to imprison, murder, control Chinese nationals. China plays by different rules. Rights, human rights? LOL!

As everyone here knows, mass surveillance is all about power and control, it has never stopped one terrorist attack or caught a terrorist.