Secret Backdoor in Some U.S. Phones Sent Data to China, Analysts Say

["Dave Farber" <farber () gmail com>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
> Date: November 15, 2016 at 10:53:55 AM EST
> To: nnsquad () nnsquad org
> Subject: [ NNSquad ] Secret Backdoor in Some U.S. Phones Sent Data to China, Analysts Say
>
>
> Secret Backdoor in Some U.S. Phones Sent Data to China, Analysts Say
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/us/politics/china-phones-software-security.html
>
>      Kryptowire, the security firm that discovered the
>    vulnerability, said the Adups software transmitted the full
>    contents of text messages, contact lists, call logs, location
>    information and other data to a Chinese server. The code comes
>    preinstalled on phones and the surveillance is not disclosed
>    to users, said Tom Karygiannis, a vice president of
>    Kryptowire, which is based in Fairfax, Va. "Even if you wanted
>    to, you wouldn't have known about it," he said. Security
>    experts frequently discover vulnerabilities in consumer
>    electronics, but this case is exceptional. It was not a bug.
>    Rather, Adups intentionally designed the software to help a
>    Chinese phone manufacturer monitor user behavior, according to
>    a document that Adups provided to explain the problem to BLU
>    executives. That version of the software was not intended for
>    American phones, the company said.
>
> - - -
>
> --Lauren--



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