Hidden Software on Mobile Phones
Android developer reported that Carrier IQ is rootkit software
Android developer Trevor Eckhart reported that he found a hidden software on several EVO HTC devices. The software, called Carrier IQ, tracked the location of the phone, what keys were pressed, which Web pages were visited, when calls were placed, and other information on how the device is used and when.
Eckhart discovered that Carrier IQ can be shown as present on the phone to users or configured as hidden, which was the case on the HTC phones he analyzed. And he found what he described as "leaked training documents" that indicate that carriers can view customer usage information via a remote portal that displays devices by equipment ID and subscriber ID.
HTC Android devices have no on-off switch for Carrier IQ, while Samsung devices do, but it is not easily accessible or pointed out to users, he said.
Because customers do not give explicit permission for this data collection and don't even know this software is on their phones, and they can't opt out of it, Eckhart says it is a clear privacy violation. He likens Carrier IQ to malware.
It's unclear what devices have Carrier IQ software installed. Coward said Carrier IQ is used by more than a dozen device manufacturers, including smartphones and tablets, but he declined to name the companies or devices.
Eckhart names HTC, Samsung, Nokia, BlackBerry, Sprint, and Verizon in
his report on Carrier IQ. HTC did not respond to requests for comment
and a Samsung representative said she would try to get comment. But a
Verizon representative said the company does not use Carrier IQ on its
devices and Coward confirmed that.
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