Android Phones Log Everything You Do

The title here is a bit misleading since this isn't something that is ubiquitous among Android phones, but rather something that is specific to some ROMs provided by phone manufacturers.
 
I have a Nexus One and am soon upgrading to a Galaxy Nexus. Both are Android phones, neither have Carrier IQ so I'm not sure I agree with this
 
Goty said:
The title here is a bit misleading since this isn't something that is ubiquitous among Android phones, but rather something that is specific to some ROMs provided by phone manufacturers.
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Equally important is that it does not indicate whether or not the data is actually sent anywhere. The author seems a bit unclear as to how logcat works. For example when talking about the HTTPS stuff he says it is supposed to be encrypted. However, the logs he points out would happen *before* it hits the network stack. Also, any site that puts your username or password as a GET parameter is absolutely doing it wrong, encryption or not.

With that said, fuck CarrierIQ, and fuck HTC (and other OEMs) for logging all this junk in the first place. Even if it isn't sent anywhere and is just local to the phone's logcat, that still makes logcat nearly useless, which sucks for developers. Also logcat is open to 3rd party apps to sniff, so personal information should never end up there anyway.
 
My HTC inspire 4g does not have theese... :/

so far he is a:
teller of untruths!
teller of untruths!
your trousers have combusted!
 
The simple fact that https: was shown in plain text should be enough reason for any thinking individual to root and mod their Android phone Day 1.
 
I have an HTC android phone (Tmo G2) with the stock firmware, does not have CIQ on it?
 
oh my. this could be really bad. As I am smart enough not to have a smart phone, can anyone else confirm this?
 
If this was an iPhone this would be a 10 page thread by now with nothing but vitriol directed at Apple.
 
It must be carrier specific.
I've been planning on getting the Nexus too. If it's installed I'll be returning it and shop elsewhere.
 
kllrnohj said:
Equally important is that it does not indicate whether or not the data is actually sent anywhere. The author seems a bit unclear as to how logcat works. For example when talking about the HTTPS stuff he says it is supposed to be encrypted. However, the logs he points out would happen *before* it hits the network stack. Also, any site that puts your username or password as a GET parameter is absolutely doing it wrong, encryption or not.

With that said, fuck CarrierIQ, and fuck HTC (and other OEMs) for logging all this junk in the first place. Even if it isn't sent anywhere and is just local to the phone's logcat, that still makes logcat nearly useless, which sucks for developers. Also logcat is open to 3rd party apps to sniff, so personal information should never end up there anyway.
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Yea, the HTTPS part irked me a good bit, I think he is really confused on how the OSI model works and were CIQ is pulling the info from.

I'm sure some dev somewhere thought it would be a great idea to log everything for god only knows...
 
Nothing that installing a custom ROM can't remove. CarrierIQ is also on samsung phones. It also eats up a lot of cpu processing power and battery life. After installing a custom ROM (Legendary ROM for Epic 4g), my battery life has increased dramatically. It lasts 3 times as long now on a single charge (I'm at 75% cpu with 17+ hours on battery)
 
This will get a lot of attention, this is very disturbing. I am rooted. I use an EVO. I use a custom ROM. But most people I know do not, and that is messed up.
 
Sure, both droid and ios do it... but with droid, I'm a few clicks, touches, memory card swaps, and a restart away from whatever the hell I want on my phone. Such as CM7.

Slighty off topic:
My good 'ole Nook color went from a slow e-book reader to a snazzy $200 android tablet a full year before Kindle Fire was even announced. Sure, it can't do *everything* the new ones can, but I can watch movies (porn), look at pics (porn), surf the web on wifi (porn) and play most of the popular brainless games just as well as the others.
 
Title is a bit misleading. It's also on BlackBerry phones, and Nokia phones as well. Some have stated it is on the iPhone too, but I haven't see anything factual on that. The main reason the Android is getting pointed out so much is the developer who discovered it happens to be a Android dev.
 
I've tried looking everywhere (apps running, all apps/services etc) and couldn't find anything regarding CIQ etc.. DroidX.
 
according to a quick google, there are 10 million galaxy s alone.

who gives a shit if it logs a button press? how would anyone go through the billions of lines to get anything? sms history? i send at least 1000 a month. 1000 x 10 million? yeah, im not overly worried.
 
FoBZY said:
according to a quick google, there are 10 million galaxy s alone.

who gives a shit if it logs a button press? how would anyone go through the billions of lines to get anything? sms history? i send at least 1000 a month. 1000 x 10 million? yeah, im not overly worried.
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Data is not as hard to mine as you imagine.
 
Not that the two are directly related, but any product that's even remotely tied to Google does this.
 
With SSL, the URLs requested are never encrypted, it's the post information that's encrypted. The URL variables are passed to the web server in plain text, event for "secure" sites.

Otherwise, this is seriously disturbing and in Canada would constitute illegal wiretapping (I don't know about US laws). This is extremely worrying, it made me check out my own phone (HTC HD7) for this sort of dangerous malware.
 
My HTC Sensation 4G does not have this.

More interesting is what is done with the data.
 
Quix said:
With SSL, the URLs requested are never encrypted, it's the post information that's encrypted. The URL variables are passed to the web server in plain text, event for "secure" sites.

Otherwise, this is seriously disturbing and in Canada would constitute illegal wiretapping (I don't know about US laws). This is extremely worrying, it made me check out my own phone (HTC HD7) for this sort of dangerous malware.
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LOL. The US government doesn't give a shit about our privacy. Privacy is an illusion here.

You know. For freedom. It's what happens when you have a credulous populous in constant fear of those scary brown people with funny names willing to piss away their rights to feel "safe" and have cheap deals on twinkies at wal mart.

Yay.

GET OFF MY LAWN! :D
 
To my knowledge, Sprint is the largest offender for having CIQ in their devices. This is just one of the many reasons I root my phone as soon as I get it.
 
The mistake is making the assumption anyone cares what most people do with their phones.

Fact is, people just aren't as important as they would like to think they are.
 
Jaer44 said:
I've tried looking everywhere (apps running, all apps/services etc) and couldn't find anything regarding CIQ etc.. DroidX.
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Did anyone actually watch the video?

It does not matter if you are rooted. It does not matter if you can not see this in the OS. This program is not specific to Android. This program is rooted and has its own access. It works without a mobile connection.

Read more:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/11/secret-software-logging-video/

Forbes is picking this up. This is the real deal.
 
sleepeeg3 said:
Did anyone actually watch the video?

It does not matter if you are rooted. It does not matter if you can not see this in the OS. This program is not specific to Android. This program is rooted and has its own access. It works without a mobile connection.

Read more:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/11/secret-software-logging-video/

Forbes is picking this up. This is the real deal.
Click to expand...

Hence the link I posted. The guys/gals at synergy believe they have it isolated and disabled.
 
The title here is a bit misleading since this isn't something that is ubiquitous among Android phones, but rather something that is specific to some ROMs provided by phone manufacturers.
 
Marcus521 said:
The title here is a bit misleading since this isn't something that is ubiquitous among Android phones, but rather something that is specific to some ROMs provided by phone manufacturers.
Click to expand...

jh2.jpg

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I just love how CarrierIQ (the company) threatened this guy with a huge lawsuit if he didn't shut up about their rootkit. Then the EFF steps in and CarrierIQ backs off their threats. Yes! Bring it on, wiretapping fuckers! You thought you could just scare this guy away? I ♥ the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
 
poee said:
I just love how CarrierIQ (the company) threatened this guy with a huge lawsuit if he didn't shut up about their rootkit. Then the EFF steps in and CarrierIQ backs off their threats. Yes! Bring it on, wiretapping fuckers! You thought you could just scare this guy away? I ♥ the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Click to expand...

No doubt, one of the best donations one can make imo
 
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