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Nairaland Forum / Science/Technology / Phones / 53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa (361 Views)
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53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa by Nobody: 1:00pm On Aug 26, 2020 |
Malware which signed users up to subscription services without their permission has been found on thousands of mobiles sold in Africa. Anti-fraud firm Upstream found the malicious code on 53,000 Tecno handsets, sold in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana and South Africa. Manufacturer Transsion told Buzzfeed it was installed in the supply chain without its knowledge. Upstream said it was taking advantage of the "most vulnerable". "The fact that the malware arrives pre-installed on handsets that are bought in their millions by typically low-income households tells you everything you need to know about what the industry is currently up against," said Geoffrey Cleaves, head of Upstream's Secure-D platform. The Triada malware found by the firm on the Android smartphones installs malicious code known as xHelper which then finds subscription services and submits fraudulent requests on behalf of users, doing so invisibly and without the user's knowledge. If the request is successful, it consumes pre-paid airtime, the only way to pay for digital services in many developing countries. In total, Upstream found what it described as "suspicious activity" on more than 200,000 Tecno smartphones. According to research firm IDC, Transsion Holdings is one of China's leading phone manufacturers and in Africa it is the top-selling mobile manufacturer. In response Tecno Mobile said that the issue was "an old and solved mobile security issue globally" to which it issued a fix in March 2018. "For current W2 consumers that are potentially facing Triada issues now, they are highly recommended to download the over-the-air fix through their phone for installation or contact Tecno's after-sales service support for assistance in any questions," the firm told the BBC in a statement. It added that it is attached "great importance to consumers' data security and product safety". "Every single software installed on each device runs through a series of rigorous security checks, such as our own security scan platform," it added. Common problem At the beginning of the year, security firm Malwarebytes warned that similar pre-installed apps were found on another Chinese Android phone - the UMX U686CL. This handset was offered to low-income families in the US via a government scheme. And in 2016, researcher Ryan Johnson found that more than 700 million Android smartphones had malware installed. Google, which developed the Android operating system, is aware of the issue. In a blog written last year it blamed third-party vendors, used by manufacturers to install features such as face unlock, for pre-installing Triada malware. It said it had worked with manufacturers to remove the threat from devices.
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Re: 53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa by Mohbola(f): 11:35am On Aug 31, 2020 |
Africa is a dumping ground na, Nigeria esp |
Re: 53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa by Realboygenius(m): 4:36pm On Aug 31, 2020 |
The report is false. |
Re: 53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa by theoneJabulani(m): 7:24pm On Aug 31, 2020 |
Realboygenius:guy shut up |
Re: 53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa by AmadorSays: 12:31am On Sep 01, 2020 |
this error had long been fixed, their devices dont have such |
Re: 53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa by skywalker240(m): 2:03am On Sep 01, 2020 |
Nigeria no join country. S.O.N, NCC are filled up with old potbellied theives and corrupted crooks. why wont tecno take the country for joke. 1 Like |
Re: 53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa by Youngpo413: 7:58am On Sep 01, 2020 |
They will still sell,malware or no malware. |
Re: 53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa by investigator007: 8:31am On Sep 01, 2020 |
This information is false |
Re: 53,000 Tecno Phones With Built-in Malware Reportedly Sold In Africa by investigator007: 8:31am On Sep 01, 2020 |
Youngpo413:why won't they, when their devices are affordable |
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