A study conducted by G Data shows that mobiles shipping with pre-installed malware has increased by about 25 percent in Q2 of 2015 compared to the first quarter. The study shows that smartphones and tablets from Chinese brands Huawei, Xiaomi, and Lenovo were discovered to have apps modified to spy on its users or to insert ads. G Data is the same research company which last year disclosed that the Star N9500 Smartphone had capability to spy on users, compromising their personal data and conversations without their knowledge. Christian Lueg, the spokesperson for G Data said that the malware was injected by a middleman. Their efforts to find the source lead them to China, thereafter they lost it. “We lost the trail in China,”he stated. A total of 26 smartphone units were discovered to be carrying a malicious software right before the consumer acquires the device. Here are the devices infected with the malware:
Xiaomi Mi 3, Huawei G510, Lenovo S860, Alps A24, Alps 809T, Alps H9001, Alps 2206, Alps PrimuxZeta, Alps N3, Alps ZP100, Alps 709, Alps GQ2002, Alps N9389, Andorid P8, ConCorde SmartPhone6500, DJC touchtalk, ITOUCH, NoName S806i, SESONN N9500, SESONN P8, Xido X1111
We reached out to Lenovo for their comments and their spokesperson emailed us the following reply :
