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Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

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Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#461

Post by im3w1l »

michaelt wrote: post #311
mike_d wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I suspect a strong link between mass surveillance [...] and the very recent targeting of the senior Iranian nuclear scientist and military officers at their homes in Iran. We all like to imagine this super cool clandestine hacking operation using peoples mobile phones to secretly track people who visit nuclear facilities back to their homes. The much more logical explanation is someone approached a low level employ…

> The much more logical explanation is someone approached a low level employee at the MEAF who turned over a USB stick with the governments org charts and payroll records in exchange for their kids getting a full ride to a prestigious foreign university. If there are spies in foreign countries going around offering life-changing sums of money for USB sticks, which people are accepting is it not also plausible that fo…

> google/samsung/apple/aws/cloudflare/microsoft

One thing to keep in mind is those people are already paid quite well. What life can you offer them that they don't already have? Blackmail is a likelier angle.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#462

Post by Tokumei-no-hito »

yapyap wrote: post #455
boramalper wrote: post #10

I suspect a strong link between mass surveillance (by corporations for advertising or by states for intelligence purposes) and the very recent targeting of the senior Iranian nuclear scientist and military officers at their homes in Iran. Wherever you are from or whatever side of the conflict you are on, I think we can all agree that it’s never been easier to infer so much about a person from “semi-public” sources su…

> “Privacy is a human right” landed on deaf ears but hopefully politicians will soon realise that it’s a matter of national security too. lol. lmao even. this is the holy mary of security, politicians (US) will not give a damn as long as they’re not the ones being targeted and as long as the ad giants like google and co keep lining their pockets.

maybe the recent attack in minnesota will change their mind - the shooter used data brokers for his plan

https://www.wired.com/story/minnesota-lawmaker-shootings-peo...

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#463

Post by dotancohen »

hkt wrote: post #296
AlotOfReading wrote: post #4

Because the link is down: https://web.archive.org/web/20250506145643/https://smex.org/... The article leaves out quite a lot about what AppCloud is, but it's essentially how Samsung monetizes their non-flagship device users and can do things like insert installation advertisements into the notification tray, and silently install apps. Personally, if I found this on my device it'd be the final straw to grit my teeth a…

No need to ditch Android. Fairphone exists: https://fairphone.com Their stock android is fine. If you want more privacy, installing e/OS/ is trivial. It blows my mind that anyone is concluding Samsung stuff is worth buying under any circumstances.

I buy Samsung for the S-Pen. The moment a viable alternative comes along, I'll be the first to try it.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#464

Post by dotancohen »

grishka wrote: post #8

The "unremovable" part is inaccurate. While you can't completely remove it because it resides on the system partition, you most probably can still disable it with an adb command: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.package.name This command is very powerful as it works for any app, even those that have "disable" greyed out in the settings. I disabled the Galaxy Store on my S9 this way for example.

OK, I see that one can get a list of all installed packages via adb:

  $ pm list packages
How does one know which are safe to disable? In the sense that there won't be unexpected side effects. Besides, not all the names make clear exactly what the package is for.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#465

Post by johnisgood »

heavyset_go wrote: post #426
johnisgood wrote: post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, my issue so far was with the 2nd step, as if my Linux did not recognize my device. I might have a go on Windows if Linux will not work again.

Check your udev rules https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Android_Debug_Bridge#Add_ud...

Thanks!

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#466

Post by godelski »

nine_k wrote: post #459
godelski wrote: post #358

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's important to remember is that we get to Slaughterbots with "best intentions." Trying to feel safer. Trying to kill our enemies. Trying to protect our friends, families, children. Little by little is how it happens. The road to hell is paved, after all.

Well, no. People with outright evil intentions, the kind that would hire a hitman, definitely also pour money and brains into the very same research. Technologies are morally agnostic: a knife, a rifle, a piece of cryptography, they all work equally well for the noblest and the most nefarious purposes. It's the humans' task to structure the society in such a way that good uses of technology mostly dominate evil uses.

You're missing the substance of what I've said. No one is denying evil people exist. But take a few more seconds to process what I said...

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#467

Post by fc417fc802 »

jrflowers wrote: post #448
fc417fc802 wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the final two were tongue in cheek but follow the same pattern and thus serve to illustrate the point being made. You don't seem to be engaging in good faith. > Is saying “salmonella exists and can be a problem” FUD or what? Obviously that depends on context. If a bunch of restaurants form a PAC and start lobbying with that message to restrict the sale of animal products at the grocery store then it is. If the F…

> You don't seem to be engaging in good faith. You posted actual nonsense and then declined to say if you are for or against telling people that salmonella is real. Anyway, in good faith > Obviously that depends on context. This makes sense. Context matters, and it is important to imagine some when it is missing. For example, in this exchange you saw a stranger on the internet post “rooting your phone can void your w…

I actually did answer your question about salmonella.

> and, in a vacuum of any relevant information

The context was your original reply rebutting the suggestion that this is corporate propaganda. Yet you play dumb and pretend that doesn't exist.

Rooting your phone can void your warranty and pose a security risk in precisely the same way that servicing your own car can. If we were on an automotive forum and you replied with that I would also accuse you of spreading FUD.

Something being true when interpreted in a literal sense does not make the commonly perceived meaning true. Willfully ignoring that is where the bad faith element lies. Well that and the part where you've been repeatedly playing dumb for the perception of winning an argument.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#468

Post by nine_k »

godelski wrote: post #466
nine_k wrote: post #459

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, no. People with outright evil intentions, the kind that would hire a hitman, definitely also pour money and brains into the very same research. Technologies are morally agnostic: a knife, a rifle, a piece of cryptography, they all work equally well for the noblest and the most nefarious purposes. It's the humans' task to structure the society in such a way that good uses of technology mostly dominate evil uses.

You're missing the substance of what I've said. No one is denying evil people exist. But take a few more seconds to process what I said...

I know that the road to hell is paved with best intentions. My point is that the pavement is not 100% best intentions, some intentions are outright bad, and we should acknowledge that, and prepare to face that.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#469

Post by fc417fc802 »

akoboldfrying wrote: post #432
fc417fc802 wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It wouldn't forbid shipping the device with a virus scanner. It would only forbid refusing the user control over what software does and does not run. There might be a couple messy edge cases if applied at the software level but I think it would work well. Applied at the hardware level it would be very clear cut. It would simply outlaw technical measures taken to prevent the user from installing an arbitrary OS on the…

> what's so difficult about flashing a stock image to a device being serviced? Yes, I think that would cover most cases if we take it to its logical conclusion of wiping all device state (hard disk). OTOH, a few points: 1. I would accept the need to wipe the hard disk if I had messed with firmware or the OS, but not if a couple of keys on the keyboard had stopped working. This implies that (for me at least) a meaning…

I think there's somewhat of a misunderstanding. The suggestion is that warranties not be denied due to user modifications that are unrelated or trivial to revert. It's the logical extension of Magnusun-Moss from aftermarket parts to aftermarket software packages.

1. I expect wiping any given component to be entirely up to the manufacturer's discretion. If doing so is not trivial and is legitimately required for the repair to proceed then I'd expect the user to be charged for the additional service.

2. Violating manufacturer specifications and being at fault for damages are sometimes distinct. A manufacturer arbitrarily saying "you must not do X" should not necessarily mean that doing X will void the warranty. It might though. Discretion is obviously required.

3. If your car stops working after you mess with the firmware and you take it in to the dealer I imagine they'd charge you to reflash things since the issue was caused by your own actions. That doesn't mean they should be able to decline to cover entirely unrelated defects.

Also I don't think vehicle firmware would be caught up by the original proposal in the first place since cars aren't generally intended to run third party software. There's a grey area with infotainment systems that have an app store depending on if those are viewed as standalone or part of the larger vehicle. However reframing the proposal to revolve around intent would likely leave the firmware on unrelated embedded components in the clear to be locked down so long as those components don't interfere with the ability to freely use the general purpose computing element.

Personally I'd like vehicle firmware to be covered by similar protections but I recognize that falls outside the scope of a proposal about products intended for use as general purpose computing devices.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#470

Post by heavyset_go »

im3w1l wrote: post #461
michaelt wrote: post #311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The much more logical explanation is someone approached a low level employee at the MEAF who turned over a USB stick with the governments org charts and payroll records in exchange for their kids getting a full ride to a prestigious foreign university. If there are spies in foreign countries going around offering life-changing sums of money for USB sticks, which people are accepting is it not also plausible that fo…

> google/samsung/apple/aws/cloudflare/microsoft One thing to keep in mind is those people are already paid quite well. What life can you offer them that they don't already have? Blackmail is a likelier angle.

You'd be surprised. We had a cop making over $250k/year extorting people for $20 bribes here. It isn't always about the money.
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