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Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

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Re: Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

#111
post #55

Please don't assume this is a one-time event, or that it is specific to this brand or even to Chinese manufacturers. Nokia could actually be in the best half on that aspect, just got unlucky. Most of such info leaks are hidden. I've already witnessed several OEM firmwares sending informations to many different parties. Too often, this is done through http, with payload encrypted. But it's always symmetrical encryptio…

> raises an advertisement company in Israel

Out of curiosity, what "advertisement" company would that be?

Re: Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

#112
post #45

It's shameful of Google (but totally expected) that they don't supervise the Android One program AT ALL. All of the Android One mobiles appear on the top list of their Android One microsite and I'm sure most of them contain malware built-in. https://www.android.com/one/ Having said this, I never expected Nokia to be doing that, too. Both Nokia and HMD are Finnish, do they really need to outsource the creation of the…

HMD is Finnish, but AFAIK they have zero own software development in Finland. Not sure whether it is public knowledge where they buy the SW from. Of course the Google part is known, but I assume the application reported here is not from Google.

Yeah. HMD is just license holding company with nothing but lots of managers as employees. All of their software development is outsourced to Finnish and foreign companies.

I know some of those people (in Finland) who worked in these outsourcing companies, but they just worked on the more high level components like Android apps etc. Not with bootloaders or OS images.

Re: Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

#113
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I recently switched from iPhone to Samsung Galaxy S10. I don't have a previous experience so my reasoning was "well it's Samsung, at worst they'll have some shitty branded apps and some cruft". But I don't have an idea what these dozens of preinstalled apps running on my phone doing. Almost none of them can be uninstalled and only a handful can be disabled. It is kind of scary to use a banking app on this thing…

This is exactly why I am back on iPhone. I have had enough of unremovable shitware. I also value the simplicity of getting basic things done such as Bluetooth pairing. Stuff seems easier. The only thing slightly worse on iPhone is google 2fa, because it needs to use the gmail app.

I use k9 mail and open keychain on android. What would be the equivalent on iPhone?

Re: Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

#114
Statement from HMD Global We have analyzed the case and can confirm that there has been an error in the packing process of software in a single batch of a telephone model, which by mistake attempted to send activation data to a foreign server. The data was never processed and no personal information was shared with third parties or authorities.

This has now been fixed and almost any device affected by this error has now installed the update. HMD Global takes the safety and privacy of our customers seriously.

Re: Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

#115
post #55

Please don't assume this is a one-time event, or that it is specific to this brand or even to Chinese manufacturers. Nokia could actually be in the best half on that aspect, just got unlucky. Most of such info leaks are hidden. I've already witnessed several OEM firmwares sending informations to many different parties. Too often, this is done through http, with payload encrypted. But it's always symmetrical encryptio…

Oh. Now I see why my phone randomly installs Amazon Prime Music or Prime Video. I have Kindle installed and recently installed audible - after installing audible, I noticed I got Prime Video (haven't been a subscriber for a while).

Re: Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

#116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What model? 5,6,7? Or you think all?

I have a Nokia 3 and a Nokia 7.0 Plus, both had a bunch of com.evenwell.* packages installed. I think all HMD devices have those packages.

Would love to speak to you about this. Can you send me an email? henrik.lied [at] nrk.no

Re: Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever try the phones from Google with pretty much nothing pre-installed? It is a much better experience, but yes Android is still proper shit in some ways. In others it has come so far. I never have to restart my phone like I had to for my Galaxy S1 every day.

I got a nokia because it's as close to pure android without a super expensive google phone and here we are...

I used to have Nokia Windows Phones and they were excellent...I wonder if this was still going on back then?

Re: Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

#118
post #9

It is kind of ironic for me to think my perception of Android as same as Windows as major malware distributor despite it is based on Linux. Android is now fast becoming Windows XP of mobile.

At least it's easy to take control of a PC and modify what you want including completely install a clean OS... not so easy with Android.

Re: Nokia phones sent identifiable data to Chinese server

#119
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is obviously a bug / lazy programmer / broken project management. A phone with most of it components bought from China and in one of the many configurations just copied from the supplier's examples there was an URL which was supposed to be changed but didn't. In other words - a non-story or at most a story about quality issues at the reborn Nokia. But luckily the URL pointed to China ... so we can make the story a…

Huh? It's more than just that; the Android build comes littered with software from an unscrupulous source, even on phones that are supposed to be close to a clean version of Android.

Why do you assume they (the presumely Chinese provider of the component) are unscrupulous?

To me it is obvious that it is Nokia that is sloppy and having quality issues.

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