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Micromax Remotely Installing Unwanted Apps and Showing Ads

Posted by timothy on from the what-will-you-tolerate dept.

jones_supa (887896) writes "Reports are coming in that users of certain devices by Indian phone manufacturer Micromax noticed apps being silently installed without their consent or permission. Uninstalling these apps won't help, as they will be automatically reinstalled. Alternatively, instead of downloading apps, the phone might litter the UI with stack of notifications which are advertisements for online stores and other apps. It turns out that the "System Update" application is responsible for all of this. When starting to tear down the application (which is actually called FWUpgrade.apk on the filesystem), the first thing you notice is that it's a third-party application. A Chinese company named Adups developed it as a replacement for the stock Google OTA service. The article shows the potential abilities of this app and how Micromax customers can work around the disruptive behavior."

23 of 50 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Flawed by design . . . by ClaraBow · · Score: 1

    Apple iAds don't install unwanted apps nor does it flood your phone with adverts! iAds are used by developers who chose to place adverts in their apps.

  2. Re:Flawed by design . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I know. the point the other guy was implying is google intended andoid to be a platform for ads. Apple had the same intention as that is one way to generate revenue.

  3. It's not illegal, so they will do it by linebackn · · Score: 2

    Isn't this already the business model for most "apps" these days? The only thing surprising here is they aren't sugar coating it with pleasant sounding euphemisms.

    Yea, some of us used computers with only 4K of RAM and remember a day when this kind of shit would have been unthinkable even if it were possible.

    But it isn't expressly illegal, so expect more of this. Don't buy something that does this? Sure, enjoy that option while it lasts.

    1. Re:It's not illegal, so they will do it by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Cyano is there, Replicant is there... Problem you have is that in India, very few people will know how to set that up for end users. Those with that sort of expertise would probably already have pretty good jobs in the IT sector and wouldn't bother to have a service in fixing phone firmware that would typically pay pretty poorly

    2. Re:It's not illegal, so they will do it by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Informative

      Isn't this already the business model for most "apps" these days?

      Only on Android.

      If you have an app, on iOS, you'll make more money selling it ad-free outright in the App Store. But on Android, you won't make much if you sell it outright - you're far better off putting ads in the app.

      Ad-based apps on Android generate far more money than ad-based apps on iOS. LIkewise, Ad-free paid apps on iOS generate far more money than paid apps on Android. (Usually because the Play Store isn't available everywhere, nor is Google Checkout/Wallet, so if you have a paid app, that pretty much eliminates your app from showing up in half the places Google Play is available).

      So no, raping customer information is NOT a standard business model. Especially since on iOS you can restrict access to your contacts, location/photos (which are a location proxy). Hell, you can't even track a user across apps easily anymore.

  4. Re: Then don't buy their phones by alen · · Score: 2

    They don't have free phones where you live?

    USA FTW

  5. Wow ... by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 1

    ... the only thing worse would be apps you don't want preinstalled, and no ability to uninstall them at all!

  6. So by Greyfox · · Score: 1

    Has anyone ported cyanogenmod to the phone yet? That's my default answer to the heaping helping of unwanted crap that always seem to get bundled with my phones.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:So by arvindsg · · Score: 1

      You both over estimate the salaries of Indian techies and underestimate the cheapness of Indians.

  7. Samsung does this too... by buckfeta2014 · · Score: 2

    My phone is constantly downloading shit I don't want. Luckily for me I can freeze it all.

    --
    Buck Feta. You know what to do.
    1. Re:Samsung does this too... by unixisc · · Score: 1

      You always need a firewall to keep unwanted intruders out!

  8. Re: Then don't buy their phones by unixisc · · Score: 2

    In India, they don't. Phones are always purchased separately, and the SIM is what is sold with the contract, and the installation is done at that point.

  9. Sounds like Google by spacefight · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...when they introduced Google Play Music etc. via regular Updates through the Play Store.

    1. Re:Sounds like Google by wiredlogic · · Score: 2, Informative

      Had to terminate that POS because it's ALWAYS RUNNING and chewing up RAM on my 1GiB phone. WTF Google?

      --
      I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
  10. Re:Flawed by design . . . by moronoxyd · · Score: 1

    Neither does Googles Android.
    RTFA, the culprit is a replacement app developed by a third party.

  11. Re: Then don't buy their phones by moronoxyd · · Score: 2

    You don't have free phones in the USA, either.
    You are just paying in installments rather than up front, and chances are you paying more in the end than if you bought the phone separately.

  12. Re:Indians being unscrupulous...i'm shocked! Shock by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    They learned well from their USA capitalist teachers.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  13. Re:Flawed by design . . . by r1348 · · Score: 1

    I'm not entirely sure they can cherry-pick and replace single Google apps, they can of course use the Android stack without Google apps and services (that's what Amazon does).

  14. Re: Then don't buy their phones by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

    They don't have free phones where you live?

    USA FTW

    Hello hefty cancellation fine (or collection agency/bad credit) in the USA. Free phones are kind of like free North Koreans.

  15. Re:Flawed by design . . . by thunderclap · · Score: 1

    Apple iAds don't install unwanted apps nor does it flood your phone with adverts! iAds are used by developers who chose to place adverts in their apps.

    Most of Apple's apps are unwanted.

  16. Re: Then don't buy their phones by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

    They don't have free phones where you live? USA FTW

    Either this is some attempt at ironic humor or you're fooling yourself. Which is it?

  17. Re:Flawed by design . . . by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

    Apple sells ads in the same way that Google sells hardware. They both do it, but it's not a significant part of the business.

  18. stock android by jakesyl · · Score: 1

    Fuck them, just install stock android