Discovery that Android-powered smartphone secretly transmits user data to China

ByTsahi Levent-Levi

Security company Kryptowire discovered that software to archive text messages, location information, and call logs sent by users to the Chinese servers every 72 hours is installed on some Android devices.

Secret Backdoor in Some U.S. Phones Sent Data to China, Analysts Say - The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/us/politics/china-phones-software-security.html

Budget Android phones are secretly sending users' text messages to China - The Verge
http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/15/13636072/budget-android-phones-blu-china-text-messages

It was revealed that the Android terminal which installed the software developed by Shanghai Adups Technology Company (Adups) in China is tracking text messages, user's location information, call history. Furthermore, it is not certain whether the purpose was in monitoring the user. Tom Caligianis, vice president of Kryptowire who discovered the existence of this software, commented on The Verge of the international news site that "This is not a vulnerability but a deliberate function".

Software developed by Adups seems to be running on over 700 million smart phones and smart devices, most of which are running on low end terminals of major manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE. However, it is unknown how many pieces of software the tracking user's behavior is installed on, and Huawei and ZTE have declined to comment on this matter.

ByVernon Chan

Among American electronics manufacturers, at leastBLU ProductsIt is clear that the tracking software developed by Adups is installed on smartphones made by Mitsubishi Electric. And it is reported that the number of BLU Products made terminals with tracking software installed is about 120 thousand.

However, the correspondence of BLU Products is quick, "Although it was part of BLU Products smartphone, personal information such as text message, call history, contact information, etc. was collected unauthorizedly, We solved the problemStatement officiallyI am giving out.

Of the BLU Products smartphones, the tracking software was installed in the following six models.

· R1 HD
· Energy X Plus 2
· Studio Touch
Advance 4.0 L2
· Neo XL
· Energy Diamond

According to Adups tracking software was not developed for the purpose of installing on an American device, "When applying the Adups firmware application to some BLU Products smartphones in June 2016, Adups client's request made it possible to extract personal information from the terminal.When BLU Products disputed Adups software, we immediately removed the software from the terminal, "The It explains to Verge.