App Flaws Expose Millions of Android Devices
Return To ArticleNearly all Android phones come with useless applications pre-installed by manufacturers or carriers, usually called bloatware, and there’s nothing you can do if any of them has a backdoor built-in—even if you’re careful about avoiding sketchy apps.
That’s exactly what security researchers from mobile security firm Kryptowire demonstrated at the DEF CON security conference on Friday.
Researchers disclosed details of 47 different vulnerabilities deep inside the firmware and default apps (pre-installed and mostly non-removable) of 25 Android handsets that could allow hackers to spy on users and factory reset their devices, putting millions of Android devices at risk of hacking.
