Unremovable Spyware on Samsung Devices Comes Pre-installed on Galaxy Series Devices : technology

[–] Arghblarg@lemmy.ca 149 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (14 children)

I took the jump and installed GrapheneOS on my Pixel 9 this weekend. Easiest alternate OS load I've ever done, didn't even need to see a command line. (I've put LineageOS on many a phone and GrapheneOS's web-based installer is amazing).

Loving it so far. I have three profiles, the main 'Owner' with NO google services/app store at all; and two more 'Personal' and 'Work' profiles that have Google stuff that I alone chose to install.

Amazingly GrapheneOS even lets you deny Google App Store itself permissions to install from untrusted sources (in this case, Google App Store itself) -- I was suprised to see installing just App Store triggered attempts to then load: My Pixel, Google Photos, Fitbit(!!? WTF), and a few others, without any confirmation first. Was able to shut that shit down immediately. (I had never, ever installed Fitbit on my previous phones, so there's no excuse to install it "from my previous device" or whatever...)

I hope GrapheneOS spreads to other phone models. And I'm sure Google has a team planning on how to strangle it before it does...

[–] amateurcrastinator@lemmy.world 37 points 10 months ago (6 children)

How does it deal with banking apps? What about camera apps? How is the camera workings with other camera apps?

[–] modular950@lemmy.zip 44 points 10 months ago

I am US-based. I have a handful of credit card apps, and a few banking / investment apps - all of them in my experience have worked fine. ONE of them required me to toggle a GrapheneOS option that enables you to exempt certain apps from some of Graphenes more hardened safety measures.

"Exploit Protection Compatibility Mode" is the toggle which can be flipped per-app, and is very easy to access so you can quickly troubleshoot whether that's related to any app troubles or not.

Similar to the other comment, I also use Pixel Camera by downloading the Google pixel cam APK and installing. I've removed all permissions from the camera (and photos) app besides to the camera lense itself, and file permissions of course. You can even use Pixel Cam's hefty features like unblur, erase me, etc. - though certain ones require you to temporarily give network access to the camera app so that it can reach out and download necessary packages. Once done, you can remove network permissions and the downloaded function will remain functional.

[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 29 points 10 months ago (1 children)

All my bank apps work, I have the stock pixel camera app and it works perfectly

[–] ramenshaman@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago

Chase is the only bank app that hasn't worked for me on GOS. Also using the stock pixel camera app.

[–] JaddedFauceet@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

Banking app https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compatibility-with-grapheneos/

[–] timhayes1991@lemmy.zip 9 points 10 months ago

I haven't had problems with Canadian banking apps, and I use 3 of them. Sadly, my favourite budgeting app doesn't work with Graphene OS. I use it every day (and have paid for lifetime premium access), so it was unfortunately a pretty big issue. But I love what they do. A cause worth donating to.

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[–] kbobabob@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Samsung has been accused of shipping budget Galaxy A and M series smartphones with pre-installed spyware that users can’t easily remove.

The software in question, AppCloud, developed by the mobile analytics firm IronSource, has been embedded in devices sold primarily in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

So these are cheap phones mostly being sold in the Middle East.

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 10 months ago

This is so gross.

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[+] 11111one11111@lemmy.world 136 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (13 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 38 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This was a super fun, and colorful read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hahahaha

Not to mention that I agree with everything said.

[–] Ibuthyr@lemmy.wtf 12 points 10 months ago

I like how he rages himself into a stroke in the first sentence of the last paragraph.

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 28 points 10 months ago

Wow, I can really feel the emotion, all that rage.

[–] purplemonkeymad@programming.dev 13 points 10 months ago

I once saw someone get an ad for the new phone as a notification on their current one. They had never had a notification from Samsung like that before. At that point I knew they would build in advertising for all their other products in to the products.

I have never bought a Samsung device since. Some people I know live them, but it put me off so much.

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

I had an A5 a while back and samsung didn't make me hate them so the next phone I got was an s10. On that phone, they decided that they needed to dedicate a physical button to their fucking virtual assistant bixby. It was pretty obvious to me that these virtual assistants were mostly actually data vacuums, wanting to integrate into every aspect of your life so they can access better data on all those aspects.

Every single time it opened that fucking thing, it was unintentional. It wasn't as annoying as your TV, since I bet the phone was way faster and had enough memory to not have to discard whatever else you were doing just to open its app, but it exemplifies how I see samsung today. Hardware had great specs but the software made it annoying by trying to lock everything in to their ecosystem without a hard lock like apple. Even MS had ways of disabling the windows button (which used to have a high chance of crashing a game if you accidentally hit it).

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[–] A_A@lemmy.world 84 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I wouldn't be surprised if Israel, again, is pushing for this :

The software in question, AppCloud, developed by the mobile analytics firm IronSource, has been embedded in devices sold primarily in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

[–] dukemirage@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Again?

[–] A_A@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Amongst other things, Israel, if you recall, made some cell phones to explode, so too kill people they don't like. Or maybe there was something called "Pegasus" that went something like that also ? I would have to do some search to be sure.

[–] dukemirage@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I guess many foreign powers are interested in mass surveillance of unstable regions and low budget phones are a good way to do it. People there need phones and don’t have many options, or don’t care because there are worse problems.

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[–] paraphrand@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

Huh, Unity owns IronSource.

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[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 50 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I hope that we someday have a Linux-based Steam Whistle from Valve, so that we have a phone that is actually ours.

[–] atmorous@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

Let's not wait. Let's collectively ask Valve to make that next

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

I hope that one day we fix our bullshit and stop relying on corporations to save us. This should should be regulated to hell and back by representatives and their teams who are at worst just mediocre at their jobs.

While we’re dreaming and all that I’m gunna high ball it.

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[–] peetabix@sh.itjust.works 45 points 10 months ago (8 children)

Don't buy any Samsung devices, got it.

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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 44 points 10 months ago (2 children)

First sentence:

Samsung has been accused of shipping budget Galaxy A and M series smartphones with pre-installed spyware that users can’t easily remove.

So unremovable in the sense that it can be removed.

[–] affiliate@lemmy.world 33 points 10 months ago

also from the article:

Even more concerning, attempts to uninstall it often fail due to its deep integration into Samsung’s One UI operating system.

Reports indicate the app reactivates automatically following software updates or factory resets, making it virtually unremovable for average users.

but i do agree that “virtually unremovable” and “unremovable” are two very different things. and im not even sure i would classify this as “virtually unremovable”

[–] SnoringEarthworm@sh.itjust.works 21 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

A new type of Android spyware that requires a password for uninstallation has been identified, making it increasingly difficult for victims to remove the malicious software from their devices.

The first sentence in the link that you linked.

So... you're technically right. It can be removed.

But not by the customer, unless they have an uncle who works at Samsung.

[+] Cevilia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 42 points 10 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (4 children)

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[–] PieMePlenty@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

I found this. Its a Raspberry Pi in a brick case with a screen and a 4G modem.

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[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 8 points 10 months ago

I REALLY wanted to do a pi phone, and while it's very possible to make a working phone/tablet out of one, their power consumption is absolutely awful. Most of the linux capable SBC's can't do low power.

I want an 8" linux touch screen with 18h of moderate usage batter life, I'm even willing to carry around a separate 4g access point.

[–] Estebiu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 10 months ago

Furi's FLX1s seems like a valid alternative.

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[–] zaki_ft@lemmings.world 35 points 10 months ago

This is Israeli spyware.

They own you.

[–] livingcoder@programming.dev 35 points 10 months ago (6 children)

I will never buy another Samsung phone or tablet. I was done the moment I started getting notification ads from the Samsung store that I cannot disable.

[–] TrumpetX@programming.dev 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This is me. As I write to you from my Graphene Pixel 9. My first non Samsung phone since the S3. The S22 unwanted ads were just too much. (and apparently it's all worse now) You could disable them, but you had to re disable after every update. The second I found a good deal on a pixel I jumped.

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[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 29 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

Zionist Spyware

Funny how they never mention where this comes from... The bullshit propaganda is strong in this article.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IronSource

[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 10 months ago

Its always the Zionists they see land, life, freedom, and people as something to be bought and sold.

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[–] hal_5700X@sh.itjust.works 26 points 10 months ago

The software in question, AppCloud, developed by the mobile analytics firm IronSource, has been embedded in devices sold primarily in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

So if you're not in the Middle East. You're good. Still not going to buy any Samsung devices.

[+] sleen@lemmy.zip 13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

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[–] GaryGhost@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I hate galaxy phones, they're build quality is so shitty and the prices are higher than a google pixel. Now they come with Israeli spyware? What other phones have spyware that I should know about?

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[–] hiramfromthechi@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Hello from GrapheneOS 👋

Tech savvy Lemmings don't need SwapMyOS, but for more non-technical folk, it's there just in case by demand.

AMA.

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[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I have yet to purchase a Samsung mobile phone and I will do my best to keep it that way.

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[–] atmorous@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

We need new OEM's made. Seriously we can't keep going like this. Any other good alternatives?

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