A commercial malware scanner used by businesses has recently detected an outbreak of malware that came preinstalled on more than three dozen Android devices.
An assortment of malware was found on 38 Android devices belonging to two unidentified companies. This is according to a blog post published Friday by Check Point Software Technologies, maker of a mobile threat prevention app. The malicious apps weren't part of the official ROM firmware supplied by the phone manufacturers but were added later somewhere along the supply chain. In six of the cases, the malware was installed to the ROM using system privileges, a technique that requires the firmware to be completely reinstalled for the phone to be disinfected.
"This finding proves that, even if a user is extremely careful, never clicks a malicious link, or downloads a fishy app, he can still be infected by malware without even knowing it," Check Point Mobile Threat Researcher Daniel Padon told Ars. "This should be a concern for all mobile users."
Most of the malicious apps were info stealers and programs that displayed ads on the phones. One malicious ad-display app, dubbed "Loki," gains powerful system privileges on the devices it infects. Another app was a mobile ransomware title known as "Slocker," which uses Tor to conceal the identity of its operators.
portal gda A commercial malware scanner used by businesses has recently detected an outbreak of malware that came preinstalled on more than three dozen Android devices.
Daniel Bailey
The infected devices included:
Galaxy Note 2 LG G4 Galaxy S7 Galaxy S4 Galaxy Note 4 Galaxy Note 5 Galaxy Note 8 Xiaomi Mi 4i Galaxy A5 ZTE x500 Galaxy Note 3 Galaxy Note Edge Galaxy Tab S2 Galaxy Tab 2 Oppo N3 vivo X6 plus Asus Zenfone 2 LenovoS90 OppoR7 plus Xiaomi Redmi Lenovo A850 Check Point didn't disclose the names of the companies that owned the infected phones. Update: Monday, 3/13/2017, 6:16 Pacific Time: An earlier version of the Check Point blog post included Nexus 5 and Nexus 5x, but those models were removed without explanation in an update made over the weekend.
Padon said it's not clear if the two companies were specifically targeted or if the infections were part of a broader, more opportunistic campaign. The presence of ransomware and other easy-to-detect malware seems to suggest the latter. Check Point also doesn't know where the infected phones were obtained. One of the affected parties was a "large telecommunications company" and the other was a "multinational technology company."
Jose Rodriguez
what do
Easton Jenkins
Here we go again
This isn't the first time Android phones have been shipped preinstalled with apps that can surreptitiously siphon sensitive user data to unknown parties. In November, researchers found a secret backdoor installed on hundreds of thousands of Android devices manufactured by BLU. A few days later, a separate research team uncovered a different backdoor on more than 3 million Android devices from BLU and other manufacturers. In those cases, however, the backdoors were previously unknown, and, in the latter case, they were intended to deliver legitimate over-the-air updates.
Friday's report shows why it's never a bad idea to scan a new Android device for malware, especially if the device is obtained through low-cost channels. Reputable malware scanners such as those from Lookout, Check Point, or Malwarebytes are all suitable. Most such apps can be used to scan a phone without having to pay a subscription. Although who sold or supplied the 38 phones Check Point found infected is unknown, another general rule is to avoid low-cost resellers. Instead, buy from a trusted store or website.
Jacob Roberts
>Android Fuck off Googleist. It's just Linux. I can run Linux without Google.
Juan Parker
Nexus 5x owner here. Pretty sure Nexus 5x is also thus infected.
Adam Torres
>all dat samsung Every fucking time
Carson Lopez
>An assortment of malware was found on 38 Android devices belonging to two unidentified companies. That means it's not the phones that are affected, but the two vendors that sell them, correct? Why is this news?
Carter Lewis
Which Redmi?
Samuel Jones
The new Apple™ iPhone 7 Plus™ Jet Black™ 256GB does not have this problem.
Ian Jones
>check brain system for privacy concerns regarding important documents on my phone >fuck that >porn and dickpics may be compromised
Noah Scott
I'd like to share my data with CIA, MI6 and Google, they're my friends.
Xavier Bell
Ok, terrorists will use it.
Josiah Green
>The malicious apps weren't part of the official ROM firmware supplied by the phone manufacturers but were added later somewhere along the supply chain. Yeah, as I thought. It doesn't fucking matter, the phones are fine. Just some stupid "unknown" vendors installing bloat malware on their shitty ROMs.
Elijah Scott
riot or pay the nigerian/chink prince
Owen Mitchell
yea foxcon keeps their slaves on a tight leash
Ethan Barnes
>Oy vey, capitalism is evil. You should support communism goy. Fuck off kike
Jonathan Miller
First vault7 and now this. Once again, andrones are BTFO. Name one (1) company who can do that to iphones. Absolute kek.
Justin Walker
>Name one company all of them user, all of them.
Chase Diaz
Explain?
Isaiah Moore
Apple's over-all ownership percentage these days is what 30+%? Pretty decent number, but here's the interesting bit, Apple has only fought privacy when it came to the public, If Google, Samsung, all social media, bank accounts, cars, anything from an item, to a company isn't safe, in what world would it even be reasonable to believe something as simple as Apple is safe. No one is in any position to say they're 100% safe unless they keep they're hard drives in a bunker underground. Sure, you can be MORE safe, but the first you learn is security is that if it has a signal, it's not unhackable. Maybe Android devices were easier to breach because of the sheer volume and diversity of devices, to be frank, I'm not surprised something like this would happen.
Isaiah Reyes
>Entire list is Samshit or Chinkphones Why am I not surprised
Jace Fisher
wtf are you even talking about
Caleb Smith
I own a Nexus device :3
Ryan Hughes
ahahahah
get fucked retards
Luis Long
Found the loser who owns a smartphone and is a shut-in but pretends to be able to still use GPS, take pics and use apps like a normal person when really he only browses Sup Forums on the thing in bed, lol.
Robert Sanchez
Only on certain phones. So it's literally nothing. If people wanted security they'd root their phone and manage permissions and firewall.
Owen Fisher
it was never "just linux" and it never will be.
Samuel Reyes
so you're infected? shit that sux
Camden Nguyen
but rooting your phone is the most insecure thing you can do you moron
Jonathan Jackson
>securing your system yourself rather than trusting 3rd parties is insecure Yes, maybe if you're retarded.
