Shanghai Adups Technology is allegedly continuing to use a spyware, already under accusation last year, on some models of Android smartphones
Despite the anger unleashed last November, when it was discovered by Krypowire, a company expert in cybersecurity, Shanghai Adups Technology is allegedly continuing to use a spyware to collect information on some users in possession of Android devices.
To understand the story, it is necessary to start from the beginning. A software produced by Shanghai Adups Technology has been installed on about 700 million devices, including some Chinese smartphones, according to the company. Last year, Krypowire’s team of researchers revealed that the program, pre-installed on some Android phone models, secretly recorded and sent a lot of user data to a server located in China. Among the information, according to cybersecurity experts, there are text messages, location information, contact lists and call logs.
Adups: spyware would still be active
Although it has been unmasked, the software under investigation would continue its malicious activity. At least until last May. To bring the attention on Adups has been once again Krypowire during the Black Hat, an event dedicated to the computer security that is taking place in these days in Las Vegas. Specifically, Shanghai Adups Technology is reportedly still using the spyware on two very cheap Chinese smartphones. Apparently, not only the program has not stopped handling victims’ data without their consent, but it has been improved as well.
Risks for affected users
As Krypowire states, the risks for affected users are many. Potentially, in fact, the spyware could be used, experts claim, to execute various malicious commands remotely, such as taking screenshots, installing other apps and erasing all data on infected smartphones.