Xiaome Mi4 Detected with Preinstalled Malware
Bluebox, a mobile-security firm has discovered preinstalled malware and a host of other security issues with Xiaomi Mi 4 device. It seems that mobile device has been tampered by an unidentified third party.
Bluebox seeked to contact Xiaomi but did not get any response. Using some antivirus scanners, Bluebox detected that there were at least six suspicious apps were installed in the phone.
One of the applications was Yt Service which fills the device with invasive ads which tricks the phone into thinking that it comes directly from Google, which would likely reduce user's fears about the program.
The researcher also found risky software which was classified as Trojan that disguises itself as a verified Google application and allows hackers to hijack the phone.
The device was further tested for further vulnerabilities. Andrew Blaich, Bluebox’s lead security analyst said that Mi 4’s operating system is a non-certified version of Android and is therefore subject to a number of flaws. Some of the bugs and security issues were discovered to be specific to old Android software, not its current release, leading them to believe that the OS was a mashup between the new KitKat 4.4.4. and an older form of Android.
The result is that the Xiaomi Mi4 is an exploitable jumble of two different versions of Android, KitKat and Jelly Bean, and is hostilely vulnerable to security faults from each.
The analysis of the signatures of the apps creates a suspicion that the device may have been tempered because the signatures seem to differ from the manufacturer’s signing key.
