Advanced

HTC Android handsets spew private data to ANY app

Posted by bob on · 1 comment
The Register
Mail this story
Print this story

Mystery data logger opens backdoor for slurping A data logger pushed out by HTC to Android handsets has opened up a vulnerability allowing any app with internet permissions to access private customer information.…

Full Story

  Nav
» Read more about: Story Type: News Story

» Get new stories by e-mail: nightly or as they are published

« Return to the newswire homepage

  Related stories
» More like this

Comments (1)

Even if its not HTC, just using vanilla Android alone you send massive info to Google. Even if not to Google, people should simply know the technology modern cellphone are capable off and the tracking ability which not only law authority makes use of. The worse argument you can get is "if nothing to hide" or "they will abide by the law with your info" etc, when so many phone hacking and accounts and servers suffering the risk. IE. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandcon...

There are few good security apps for Android:

-"AdFree" which add ads and webtracking blocklist to the /etc/hosts file.

-"LBE Privacy Guard" which let you either block or have a permission prompt for apps to allow accessing network services (contacts, call logs, sms, phone ID (IMEI / IMSI), and internet.)

Both of these need a root permission though. AdFree is fine since its made by XDA, or you could simply edit the /etc/hosts file yourself, which require root permission ofcourse. LBE I don't think is open source from what I gather. It seem legitimate as it blocks properly and even preventing google and system apps access.

Once you install LBE, you'll note some free apps wanting your phone ID and location for god knows what. Or weather apps that request your GPS location even though you set manual location. I don't have an HTC phone myself, but base on the article and video, I wonder if LBE is able to detect the HTC logging app and block its connection or they are connect through secure tunneling.

Post a comment

A free account is needed to post. Write your comment here first: your text is kept in this browser while you sign up or log in, and is waiting for you when you come back.

Your message:
|||||
10
Markdown: **bold**, *italic*, [text](https://link), - lists, > quotes, $x^2$ for math. Formatting help

Sign up and post (it is free)  or  Log in and post