Some Alcatel Smartphones Came Pre-Installed With A Hungry Malware

Cybersecurity experts will usually tell Android phone users to avoid downloading apps from unknown source and just stick to the Google Play Store for better security. However, sticking to the Google Play Store doesn't guarantee the safety of your android device because even the Android store is known for security lapses. Well, for some Android device, you don't need to about looking for malware, the malware comes pre-installed!

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According to ZDNet, some Alcatel phones came pre-installed with a malware that hide on a system app. This app subscribed some users to premium numbers without their knowledge.


The report said that an app called 'Weather Forecast - World Weather Accurate Radar' which was the Google on the Play Store came pre-installed on some Alcatel phones such as the Alcatel Pixi 4 and Alcatel A3 Max and was ridden with malware.

 What's worrying is the fact that the app was developed by TCL who are the makers of Alcatel phones.

According to Upstream, a UK mobile security firm that made the report, said that at the initial stage the app was collecting data on users locations, IMEI codes and email addresses and then sending it back to TCL.

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 With time, the app which at some point was infected with the malware will attempt to subscribe users to premium service number services. If the attempt was successful, the numbers will be billed to the users.

The app is also said to be sending users data to a server in China. The report said that those largely affected are users in Brazil, Kuwait, and some countries in Africa.

For TCL, the app was created without malicious intent, though it is said that it got infected via a TCL developer who might have had his/her system compromised and infected with the malware.

So far, Google has removed the app from the Play Store after being notified by Upstream who informed TCL. Other TCL apps on the Play Store are in good standing.