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Manufacturer's Backdoor Found On Popular Chinese Android Smartphone

Posted by samzenpus on from the sneaking-in dept.

Trailrunner7 writes that researchers at Palo Alto Networks have found a backdoor in Android devices sold by Coolpad. "A popular Android smartphone sold primarily in China and Taiwan but also available worldwide, contains a backdoor from the manufacturer that is being used to push pop-up advertisements and install apps without users' consent. The Coolpad devices, however, are ripe for much more malicious abuse, researchers at Palo Alto Networks said today, especially after the discovery of a vulnerability in the backend management interface that exposed the backdoor's control system. Ryan Olson, intelligence director at Palo Alto, said the CoolReaper backdoor not only connects to a number of command and control servers, but is also capable of downloading, installing and activating any Android application without the user's permission. It also sends phony over-the-air updates to devices that instead install applications without notifying the user. The backdoor can also be used to dial phone numbers, send SMS and MMS messages, and upload device and usage information to Coolpad."

10 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. buy cheap ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... get what you pay for

  2. There is no backdoor. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Its just lies and propaganda, there is no backdoor in Coolpads.

    [sent from my Coolpad]

    1. Re:There is no backdoor. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I think you mean: [sent BY my Coolpad]

  3. No different than what we have here by Russ1642 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Pretty sure that both the iOS and Android systems can do this out of the box, they just have chosen not to. There's also the old Kindle deleting 1984 incident.

    1. Re:No different than what we have here by ArcadeMan · · Score: 4, Informative

      As far as I know, Apple can disable software remotely for security reasons but iOS itself cannot install software without asking the user.

      --
      Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
  4. Google Play Services by Tester · · Score: 3, Funny

    I though they were describing Google Play Services, which I understand call do all of those things. Except obivously, that Google is not evil..

  5. Disgusting! by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's repulsive the sort of tactics that commie chinamen will stoop to, putting backdoors into their products like that. Why, here in America, those are 'features' that you consent to by opening the package, as documented on page 46 of the EULA, as interpreted in mandatory binding arbitration by the company's legal team! It must suck to live in such a benighted, unfree, country, where your cellphone is probably spying on you and may well come preloaded with malware...

  6. Sounds like my Sony Blu-Ray player by fhage · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I have a Sony BDR-S3100 which grabs an IP address even when it's off. It also frequently updates itself without notification when off, leaving new movie trailers and unfamiliar and unwanted Apps in its menu. Each time it does this, (about every 2 weeks) I have to re-enter all my account login information. There's no way to disable these automatic updates. Sony CS has no solution. In addition, I've discovered when the user starts an App, like Netflix, the player first contacts Sony servers before actually running the app. When their servers are down, the player can't run the Netflix App.

    Devices now own us. I miss the days when I had control over my devices.

    1. Re:Sounds like my Sony Blu-Ray player by almondo · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'd say sue Sony but their lawyers are a bit busy right now.

    2. Re:Sounds like my Sony Blu-Ray player by Gaygirlie · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Have you checked if it uses HTTP or HTTPS for its traffic? If it's just plain-old HTTP you could redirect the traffic to Sony's servers to a server of your own instead and always just reply with "everything is ok, no updates available, please continue." That's what I've done to several apps and appliances, thereby removing myself from their prying eyes and granting me access to things even when manufacturer's servers are unavailable.