London (CNN Business); Software that eats up mobile data and registers people for unwanted subscriptions has been found pre-installed on thousands of low-cost Chinese smartphones in Africa more than two years after it was first detected.

The Triada malware signs mobile users up to subscription services without their permission and has been discovered on Tecno W2 smartphones in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa, according to a report published this week in partnership with BuzzFeed.

Secure-D, the anti-fraud platform that conducted the research, recorded 19.2 million suspicious transactions since March 2019 from over 200,000 unique devices. "The fact that the malware arrives pre-installed on handsets that are bought in their millions by typically low-income households tells you everything you need to know about what the industry is currently up against," said managing director, Geoffrey Cleaves.
"This particular threat takes advantage of those most vulnerable," he added.

Transsion blamed an "unidentified vendor in the supply chain process," according to BuzzFeed.
Triada malware installs a piece of code known as xHelper onto compromised devices, automatically subscribing users without their knowledge to services that consume pre-paid airtime — the only way to pay for digital products in many developing countries.
"The xHelper trojan persists across reboots, app removals and even factory resets, making it extremely difficult to deal with even for experienced professionals, let alone the average mobile user," Secure-D, which is owned by mobile technology company Upstream, said in a statement.

The company's investigation found evidence in code and traffic data to link at least one of the xHelper components to fraudulent subscription requests via Transsion's Tecno W2 handset. Its analysis was carried out on phones from existing users and newly purchased handsets. No signs of Triada malware were found to affect other mobile phones manufactured by Transsion, Secure-D said.

In a 2016 blog post, Google, which developed the Android operating software, attributed the presence of Triada to the actions of third-party suppliers within the production process.
"We have always attached great importance to consumers' data security and products safety," said Tecno Mobile. "Every single software installed on each device runs through a series of rigorous security checks," it added, noting that security updates are periodically sent to mobile users.


https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/26/tech/tecno-malware-africa/index.html

Wetin we sabi na? No be to buy and use? Make I wait for experts to explain the implication.

CNN the propaganda news outlets.

EmptyGarden:
Wetin we sabi na? No be to buy and use? Make I wait for experts to explain the implication.

Not an expert but here's the implications

1. You're subscribed to services you know nothing about via airtime (would've been bank charges if some parts of Africa - naija included - got that far)

2. Your data subs will be used without your permission to download unwanted malwares in the form of apps and games (these games are sometimes 18+ games). Which will lead to blaming MTN or Airtel as data guzzlers... Though Dem still get their own issues.

3. Your personal data is being mined and sold off to God knows who on the deep web or worse the dark web. Just cos you're a Nigerian doesn't mean someone won't use your personal data for scams by someone or your fellow man.

TL:DR - you buy a product but they're still using you to make more money without your permission and stealing your personal data which by law in some developed countries is bad, except China to some extent.

edoairways:
CNN the propaganda news outlets.

The security firm that conducted the research nko?

A dev or anyone who know what to look for when decompiling the OS will give you a detailed report than the firm sef.

KrazyDave16:

Not an expert but here's the implications

1. You're subscribed to services you know nothing about via airtime (would've been bank charges if some parts of Africa - naija included - got that far)

2. Your data subs will be used without your permission to download unwanted malwares in the form of apps and games (these games are sometimes 18+ games). Which will lead to blaming MTN or Airtel as data guzzlers... Though Dem still get their own issues.

3. Your personal data is being mined and sold off to God knows who on the deep web or worse the dark web. Just cos you're a Nigerian doesn't mean someone won't use your personal data for scams by someone or your fellow man.

TL:DR - you buy a product but they're still using you to make more money without your permission and stealing your personal data which by law in some developed countries is bad, except China to some extent.

You do well my broda... Truth is, I've never trusted the Chinese.

KrazyDave16:

The security firm that conducted the research nko?

A dev or anyone who know what to look for when decompiling the OS will give you a detailed report than the firm sef.

I know what CNN can do. They are good at twisting facts

EmptyGarden:


You do well my broda... Truth is, I've never trusted the Chinese.

Their laws are what's causing most of these privacy breaches.

edoairways:

I know what CNN can do. They are good at twisting facts

Unless when China is involved that is.

KrazyDave16:

Unless when China is involved that is.

Personally I don't trust Chinese however the Americans aren't Saint.

Chinese are never to be trusted