Who says that University research is a waste of money? At North Carolina State University, researchers found that some Android devices have major permission flaws that allow untrusted apps to record your phone conversations, send you SMS messages, obtain geo-locations and do other things without your consent. 13 areas were analyzed and 11 revealed privileges were exposed thanks to a pre-loaded app.
The HTC EVO 4G and the HTC Legend were among the models with the most vulnerability among the 8 handsets cited by the report. Google and Motorola are confirming that the flaws exist while HTC and Samsung are quiet.With Stock Android powered Nexus models scoring the best, it would seem to indicate that phone manufacturers are not adhering to the security permission model devised by Google.
The study from North Carolina State University used a system the research team developed, called Woodpecker. This system checked all apps on a phone for 13 permissions that protect sensitive user data or phone features, on a phone. The Android phones studied were the HTC EVO 4G,HTC Legend, HTC Wildfire S, Motorola DROID, Motorola DROID X, Samsung Epic 4G, Google Nexus One and Google Nexus S. Until security foxes are sent out, the best thing you can do to be protected is to be careful of which apps you are downloading.
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: