(Carrier IQ) Security Vulnerability Found on Bionic - IMPORTANT

[doogald]

I have no idea what Fakeblur does, but VZW tweeted that they do not use Carrier IQ software on their handsets. This is contrary to the finding that someone posted above after finding IQAgent on a Moto handset (VZW I assume).

It could be AT&T - they have Moto phones. Plus they have admitted that they use CIQ.

The semantics of the tweet leave room for something similar to be used in place of Carrier IQ.

I thought the same thing.

How much does it matter, though? You are using the Verizon network. They know which tower your phone is connected to. Then know who you call and when, and who calls you. They know who you text and the content of the texts and when they were sent, and from where. They know which internet sites you connect to from the apps on your phone when you use their CDMA or LTE network, and the content for data not encrypted. They can gather all of this data without a preinstalled app like CIQ.

 

[lykofos]

I can confirm that that app has been there since Day 1. Reason I know that is because the first thing I did after root was go thru and freeze all the apps I thought was bloat and that was one of the ones I was staring at since the name stood out. This was before we got our first taste of a rom.

Double confirmation. I have Fake Blur as well, no clue what it does though. I'm rooted but on stock .886, haven't applied any updates or installed any roms.

 

[johnlgalt]

fakeblur is on All BIONICs - that much we have established.

What other users in the Moto Users forums have purported (I have yet to verify this independently) is that there is no trace of any of the IQ actions normally found on a phone with an active Carrier IQ Agent onboard. That coupled with the fact that VZW was quick to come out and say that they do not deal with Carrier IQ has me believing that 1) It's benign, and 2) VZW is using something somewhere for similar type of reporting from our phones.

If it is regular old packet sniffing and analysis, then that puts a whole new spin on people trying to tether. In the DROID forums (I think) someone once asked if anyone had actually been caught tethering, and at least one person responded that they had and another 2 or 3 responded that they knew someone who had....

 

[amageus]

Lookout Mobile Security Releases Carrier IQ Detector – You May Not Like What You Find

 

[Thom]

Lookout Mobile Security Releases Carrier IQ Detector

 

[dguy]

Says the Bionic doesn't have it, which is as expected.