Malicious apps that disable Android phones until owners pay a hefty ransom are growing increasingly malevolent and sophisticated as evidenced by a newly discovered sample that resets device PIN locks, an advance that requires a factory reset.
This has to be the most fucked up OS in history.
Dang. And I thought Windows used to be bad.
“That’s because it’s distributed in third-party app stores and masquerades as an app for serving pornography.”
So this is not an issue because virtually all users get their apps from the Google store. You can’t install apps from third party stores by default.
Keep pushing your narrative, Jim.
Jim, sometimes you jump into conclusion because you are blinded by your bias.
You forgot to quote the next sentence, Steve: “If it were to find its way into the official Google Play market—as happens regularly with malicious Android apps—it could represent a real threat for a much larger number of people.”
I like my “walled garden” thank you very much.
If, if, if…
” less than an estimated 0.001% of app installations on Android are able to evade the system’s multi-layered defenses and cause harm to users. ”
http://qz.com/131436/contrary-to-what-youve-heard-android-is-almost-impenetrable-to-malware/
Like with Windows, the issue is overblown. The biggest security risk has always been the user.
Since no one really “owns” android, this is a likely outcome.
Hey Jim, tell that to those Macbreak Weekly blowhards Laporte an Ihnatko. I used to watch the show expecting some positive news regarding Apple (without fanboy hysteria). Now the two card carrying Android clowned parade the shitty hardware and piecemeal software as something that Apple better watch out for.
If I were you, I would stay off any show with those two clowns. Your credibility suffers with every encounter.
Android has always been and will always be a platform of unbridled compromise.
“RTFM.”
This is a stupid argument. If adding stores is supported, the things from adding stores is part of the responsibility of the vendor. You don’t get to just chuck shit over the wall and hope it doesn’t land on someone.
” If adding stores is supported, the things from adding stores is part of the responsibility of the vendor.”
No.
Google is only responsible for its own store. Is Apple responsible for what jailbroken iPhones can install?
No. Not equivalent. Apple doesn’t support jailbreaking. Does Google support loading apps from unknown sources?
You can’t have it both ways. Either it’s a feature or it’s not, and if it’s a feature it’s fair to call it a major security liability as well.
No ,they don’t “support” it… it’s an option for advanced users/developers, there is a warning before you can enable it. Virtually all of these scary stories are irrelevant to Google’s phones, they get clicks though. All Android phones are not Google’s phones. AOSP is open source and used by companies other than Google (especially in China) and there are other app markets, the most popular being Amazon’s. Even well known, trusted app devs have apps in multiple stores.
By default, on an Android phone running Google Mobile Services (GMS) one can only install apps from Google’s store. If one attempts to install an apk file from outside of their store, it will not be allowed.
I don’t believe you, or Jim for that matter, actually understand how Android and AOSP work. Anyone can make their own ROM from AOSP, never use GMS and install/modify anything they want. That is what Amazon has done with it’s FireOS. If one wants to use GMS, on the other hand, a device has to certified by the Google and there are rules… like no third party app stores on the device.
Absolutely I do. If you build your own ROM the bets are off. If Bob can grab Joe’s phone and add a store while running the stock ROM in under two minutes, though, that’s an advertised, implemented and thus supported feature. Doesn’t matter if they claim not to support it.
Big scary warnings mean dick all. The OS should do it or not, not whine gently in the direction of whoever’s holding the phone.
Google’s opinion is the same as Apple’s. In regards to the YiSpector malware that users were installing, Apple’s statement read:
“We also encourage them to only download from trusted sources like the App Store and pay attention to any warnings as they download apps.”
There is no difference. Stick to Apple’s/Google’s stores and you’ll be fine. Is Apple responsible for people who install that malware?
No, they’re not. Because they don’t allow adding third party stores, and close exploits allowing it as they’re discovered.
Unlike Google, for whom this is a feature. Thus, Google’s responsible for it.
lol… After a trivial amount of work an iphone can access Cydia, and Android phones can access third party stores. Neither can do so by default. Same thing. AOSP is open, it can’t ban stores. Android Phones with GMS do not have third party stores on them. Like an iphone, savvy users can get around these restrictions. Normals have no idea. Google and Apple are responsible for the stores they control, not what some user adds on his/her own.
This story has nothing to do with Google android phones. Nothing whatsoever. Just like the stories about YiSpector had nothing to do with unmodified iPhones. Pure FUD.
Again: What’s a feature, what isn’t. You inability to grasp this is nothing short of fucking astonishing. It’s almost like you have a stake in not understanding it.
Sigh. it’s not a feature and nowhere is it advertised as such.