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Spyware In BlackBerry Updates For Users in the UAE

Posted by timothy on from the this-could-happen-in-$yourcountry-too dept.

mulaz writes with this excerpt from The Register: "An update pushed out to BlackBerry users on the Etisalat network in the United Arab Emirates appears to contain remotely-triggered spyware that allows the interception of messages and emails, as well as crippling battery life. Sent out as a WAP Push message, the update installs a Java file that one curious customer decided to take a closer look at, only to discover an application intended to intercept both email and text messages, sending a copy to an Etisalat server without the user being aware of anything beyond a slightly excessive battery drain."

4 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. UAE - no surprise by Torontoman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As far as non-north-american countries go - the UAE is very progressive. But a former client of mine who spent 8 yrs there working in administration pointed out - "in North America we are an odd country and culture - we simply take it as the norm that nobody will listen to us. That level of privacy is not the norm, it's unusual" He was in a senior healthcare position and essentially knew as a foreigner in a position of influence that he would be monitored regularly if not constantly.

    1. Re:UAE - no surprise by julian67 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes it's so progressive that every new car comes with a tracking device built in so the govt always knows where you're driving. It also knows when you go to fast. They have this amzing system whereby if you drive over the speed limit a siren sounds in your car and gets louder and louder until you slow down to within the limit. Driving around Dubai you'll be passed by speeding cars with a terrible wailing siren sounding out over the terrible bass heavy music. These drivers are Emiratis, locals (70% of the population is foreign workers). They won't have to pay the fine so as long as they can stand the noise they'll drive as fast as they like. It's a bizarre phenomenon. It's absolutely no surprise that the state monopoly telco would also like access to all your communications whatever device you use. Skype is banned, and tor is blocked and using any privacy enhancing encryption leads not to the unfettered web but to the court house. Also progressive: jail time for sex outside of marriage, deportation with no notice if your boss withdraws your work permit and so on. I guess it looks progressive next to Saudi, but mostly it isn't progressive, only rich.

  2. More information by mothrsuperior · · Score: 5, Interesting

    the register has a followup (including some code) here.
      Apparently etisalat claims the spyware is for troubleshooting during the 2g to 3g upgrade.

  3. No, not interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's just a typo in the link, and for some reason the 404 page says "deleted" instead of just "not found". If you read the elreg comments page, you can find the corrected URL and the thread is still live:

    http://supportforums.blackberry.com/rim/board/message?board.id=BlackBerryDeviceSoftware&thread.id=5632&view=by_date_ascending&page=1