Chinese Propaganda App Reportedly Spying on 100 Million Android Users

In a study that should surprise no one, a propaganda app developed by the Chinese government is reportedly spying on users who downloaded it on their smartphones. According to researchers at German cybersecurity firm, Cure53, the app has critical backdoors that effectively grant information technology 'superuser' privileges on smartphones, allowing it to run arbitrary commands and extract simply well-nigh any data on afflicted devices.

Called 'Xuexi Qiangguo', (Study the Great Nation), the app was launched to much fanfare dorsum in January, and has since been downloaded past more than 100 1000000 users around the country. While it became the most-downloaded app on iPhones following its launch, the researchers say that they have just studied its malicious behavior on Android, and did not investigate the iOS version of the app.

The study, deputed by the The states-funded Open Applied science Fund (OTF), reportedly found malicious code that allows admin-level privileges which are almost never required by standard apps and games. Co-ordinate to Adam Lynn, the research manager of Open Tech Fund, "It's very, very uncommon for an application to require that level of access to the device, and in that location'south no reason to have these privileges unless you're doing something you're not supposed to exist".

His views were largely echoed by Sarah Aoun, OTF'due south director of engineering, who claimed the app is enabling the communist authorities to further expand the scale and scope of the country's already extensive surveillance appliance. "The (Chinese Communist Political party) essentially has access to over 100 million users' data. That's coming from the meridian of a regime that is expanding its surveillance into citizens' day-to-day lives", she said.

Source: https://beebom.com/chinese-app-spying-100-million-users/

Posted by: rodriguezfrohn1970.blogspot.com

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