CarrierIQ Tries To Silence Security Researcher 216
phaedrus5001 sends this quote from a story at Wired:
"A data-logging software company is seeking to squash an Android developer's critical research into its software that is secretly installed on millions of phones, but Trevor Eckhart is refusing to publicly apologize for his research and remove the company's training manuals from his website. Though the software is installed on millions of Android, Blackberry and Nokia phones, Carrier IQ was virtually unknown until the 25-year-old Eckhart analyzed its workings, recently revealing that the software secretly chronicles a user's phone experience, from its apps, battery life and texts. Some carriers prevent users who actually find the software from controlling what information is sent."
The EFF is hosting PDFs of CarrierIQ's C&D letter, as well as their response on Eckhart's behalf.
He should remove it. (Score:5, Funny)
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This man is working to remove software which can be used to identify pedophiles, rapists, and other ungodly characters which are plaguing this nation. He should be brought to justice for undermining our government's attempt to keep our land free and Christian. I propose that we take this software a step further, and have it display a random Bible verse on bootup of the device, in order to spread Christ's message to the unsaved.
God bless,
Jake
Re:He should remove it. (Score:5, Insightful)
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Yep I keep saying this, if you don't know wtf, then don't use your phone in a manner that compromises self. However, I'm unclear how this is legal, is it part of the smartphone UELA? Wasn't there something that required software vendors on smart phones to obtain user consent on what features are being transmitted since the iphone fiasco? If not there damn well should be, no idea who these fags are besides a now bulls eyed hack target with probably a newb admin.
My advice for Trevor: post your shit on tpb
Re:He should remove it. (Score:5, Funny)
Here thar be trolls.
Dont feed them.
Re:He should remove it. (Score:5, Funny)
You can't sacrifice privacy for security, it doesn't work that way.
Christianity is based on the idea that you can sacrifice one man for the salvation of all mankind, so you can see how sacrificing privacy for security might make sense to them ;)
I can never quite tell whether people sprouting religious rhetoric are serious or trolling...
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> you can sacrifice one man for the salvation of all mankind
Not "you", "a god";
not "one man", "his son", that is himself;
apart this freaking major problem, it was a witty post.
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Criticism to a system can be directed to the properties of the system, or to its implementation. In the second case you are right and we can stop believing in math too, because people use numbers to rob you of your belongings (aka finance tricks), or science because of the not so good effects of an atomic bomb. It's ok for me.
If you go back to the system, instead:
Mt 10:14: If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet
Now, if you somehow mana
Re:He should remove it. (Score:5, Insightful)
Ahh, but therein lies the rub 'brother':
As many christian fundementalists are publicly on record for asserting, the very people that would have access to this technology's data logs are also "secular, heathen, sinners" who "hate god", and "actively disparage and discriminate against true believers."
This tool would enable deadly and repressive government officials to prevent the spread of christianity though this technological outlet, and would function just as sensationally as a tool of religious and ideological censorship as it would as a powerful tool to identify and punish criminals.
You cannot have your cake and eat it too, 'brother'.
(My troll-o-meter is pegging a 10, but it could be a poes law false positive. If you be trollin, research your religious fundies more dutifully next time. If you were simply naive about the serious implications of software like this, and honestly felt that a "think of the children!" Argument was in any way grounds for outright debasement of fundemental liberties that everyone enjoys and society is demonstrably better for, my advice would be to always think about what would happen if an evil person had control over that part of the process. The price of freedom is eternal vigilence, and those that trade freedom for the illusion of safety deserve neither.)
Re:He should remove it. (Score:5, Funny)
My troll-o-meter is pegging a 10, but it could be a poes law false positive.
Yeah I got that too. You can never quite tell... some people really are that crazy. I think the "display a random Bible verse on bootup of the device" is a bit of a giveaway though. A smiley face emoticon at the end of the post would have been nice.
Having an app that displays random bible excerpts each time you turn on your phone would be cool, although they'd have to be brief, eg:
"kill every woman who has slept with a man"
"save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man"
"kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women"
The more it can be taken out of context, the better!
Re:He should remove it. (Score:5, Insightful)
And a fact most appropriate to your user ID - Religious lobbying in America has increased 500%. Among the most important issues of religious lobbying groups are:
- The relationship between church and state (pissing on that thing we call the constitution)
- Civil rights and liberties for religious and other minorities(like the gays?)
- Bioethics and life issues, including abortion, capital punishment and end-of-life issues(force people to have kids they don't want and prevent people in constant paint to pass peacefully, generally impede scientific progress)
- Family/marriage issues, including definition of marriage, domestic violence and fatherhood initiatives(great job in the bible belt, with its higher rates of divorce)
So yes, this is all related, because Christians are in charge of America, and Christians believe that everybody else should be subject to the same overbearing parenting that Christians were subject to as children. Big brother is their way of foisting their so-called "morality" upon everybody else, willing or unwilling.
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So yes, this is all related, because Christians are in charge of America, and Christians believe that everybody else should be subject to the same overbearing parenting that Christians were subject to as children. Big brother is their way of foisting their so-called "morality" upon everybody else, willing or unwilling.
Someone has been feeding you crap so you'll hate the Christians and draw your attention away from who the real enemies are.
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draw your attention away from who the real enemies are.
Congress?
Re:He should remove it. (Score:4, Interesting)
What would a private company with no visible gov't affiliations care about any of that?
Why don't you ask Qwest's CEO, I think he gets out of jail sometime this decade for not bending over for Bush's warrantless wiretaps. Oh, sorry, I meant violating his job as CEO to make every penny possible by getting his government contracts cancelled for not bending over for Bush's warrantless wiretaps. Hmm, it doesn't sound much better that way either. How do you spin it so you can claim that these telcom companies have no visible government affiliations?
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All the religious christians I know-- including myself-- regard a big overbearing government as a pretty bad thing, and understand that big groups of powerful authority figures are rarely a pure win.
Well, in case it's time for you renounce your totalitarianism celestial North Korea who convicts people of thought crime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8ORn-wmhliU#t=164s [youtube.com]
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He might be the worlds biggest humanitarian and still be a personally unpleasant person to talk to. The segment you linked was essentially 5 minutes of fallacious ridicule with no rational basis, just that he found various religious ideas silly.
You want to know my problem with his video? He objects to an omnipotent omniscient judge because it reminds him of North Korea, never mind that, rationally speaking, omniscience and omnipotence are requirements for perfect justice; he objects to the trinity basical
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So you understand the trinity huh? And it's a logical thing? Wow, now I'm prepared for revelation. I'm read the bible multiple times and found no mention of the trinity anywhere, ever. Not even the slightest allusion to it. Although I have found gospel and scripture verses which contradict the standard version of it. But then again, there are so many versions to pick from which the truest mark of a logical fallacy.
a hilarious parallel to Kim Jong Il's dead father being the head of the government. Thats about as far as I got before I realized that life is too short to spend watching athiests make accusations that are neither civil nor grounded in reason
So exposing the parallels between actions isn't a valid premise for logic and reason? A
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Wow, now I'm prepared for revelation. I'm read the bible multiple times and found no mention of the trinity anywhere, ever. Not even the slightest allusion to it.
It doesnt use that word. The word trinity, as with other words and phrases such as easter, communion (and as the catholic church might assert, transubstantiation) dont actually appear in the bible; they are shorthand for longer concepts that we DO see clearly.
If you look through the new testament, you see very clearly that there are references to roles of a "father", of a "son" in a relationship to the "father", and a "spirit" in a relationship with the other two. All three are considered to be divine, a
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though the most common ones are 99% in agreement.
Clearly you've never read the bible and in particular the gospels. Even the most conservative of biblical scholars with integrity have to admit they agree on very little of the detail. The only place they are agreement is when they directly plagiarize from one another. Once you let Luke go off freelancing, or John which has virtually nothing in common with rest to can just begin to see the enormous amount of divergence in the text. They don't agree on the details of anything except where they have been
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"A pastor voting in line with his religious views" isnt a violation of separation of church and state, its protected speech under the first amendment and in line with everything the constitution stands for.
The problem being when the mob disagrees with the Constitution and votes in people who run on the "I'll piss on the Constitution" platform of spending federal dollars to build Christian memorials (some arguably Jewish because of the shared heritage) - Commandments and crosses on every government building, laws to reflect the "morality" of the voters, even if in direct violation of the Constitution.
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You know what makes you seem really clever? When you make broad (implied all christians), vague (unclear who you mean by christian-- several groups use that name), sweeping generalizations with nothing to ground them in.
Re:He should remove it. (Score:4, Insightful)
Well, Jake, your name seems to imply that you are a Christian. The Imam will be happy to get this CarrierIQ data, so that he can behead your infidel ass.
Not to mention, "Pastor" seems to imply that you're a Protestant. Just think, if the Pope had this sort of data way back, all you Protestant apostates could have been burned at the stake, along with that wench, Joan of Arc.
And, the atheist movement will also welcome all this information. This will make it easier to find you, for deportation to a reeducation camp.
In short - you're an idiot.
Re:He should remove it. (Score:4, Informative)
His high UID combined with a clearly trollish statement means he might not be the idiot here. Yall are postin in a troll thread.
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>>if the Pope had this sort of data way back, all you Protestant apostates could have been burned at the stake, along with that wench, Joan of Arc.
Sorry, I hate feeding trolls, but I'm boggling at this statement.
You honestly are accusing the Catholic church of burning one of their patron saints at the stake? The English very explicitly didn't allow Jean D'Arc to appeal to the Pope, as they were running a show trial (threatening the English churchmen with death if they failed to burn her).
Re:He should remove it. (Score:5, Funny)
I propose that we take this software a step further, and have it display a random Bible verse on bootup of the device
It's a wonderful idea, brother, but I would like to clarify something important first: KJV or NIV?
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To truly appreciate the full meaning of the Bible, you must read it in the original Klingon.
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*yawn* Boring troll is boring.
What's your thoughts on chiropractic? or HOSTS files?
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Re:He should remove it. (Score:4, Funny)
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my maffs must be wrong.
I thought the sqrt(god) = 1/ham_sandwich (for small values of god).
no?
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Carrier IQ's PA on the matter (Score:5, Informative)
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The first link in the linked EFF letter (the analysis of CarrierIQ software) is missing the second hyphen in
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That is also my attitude. I want something - let's say a new car. I research cars, of the type that I want. Which one has the most power? I mean, real horsepower, not "which one has the most hyped up powerful phrase in the television commercials". That information is available, with a quick google search. And, if I want a new shirt, I research the shirts. (alright, I don't really - I have spent a lifetime researching work shirts, and I just go buy a Carhartt shirt) Ditto for everything else I need o
Re:Carrier IQ's PA on the matter (Score:5, Insightful)
With the facts provided by your google research, with your search results tailor by google based on their analsys of your browsing behaviour...
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CarierIQ Protocol? (Score:5, Funny)
the software secretly chronicles a user's phone experience, from its apps, battery life and texts.
Let's hope someone succeeds in reverse engineering and implementing a copy of the CarrierIQ protocol, as I wish it to be known that my favorite App is the "Nude Crocheting Pocket Guide", and my current battery life is "Purple".
I will also be happy to forward my texts (which I shall not utter here) to the phone company as well, as soon as an international SMS character set for the language of Morder is approved.
Re:CarierIQ Protocol? (Score:5, Funny)
Knowing the protocol isnt enough; one does not simply text into Mordor.
Re:CarierIQ Protocol? (Score:5, Funny)
Seven smart phones for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of silicone,
Nine voice phones for Mortal Men still doomed to work,
One App for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Servers are built.
One App to rule them all, One App to find them,
One App to phreak them all and through the internet pwn them
In the Land of Mordor where the hackers lie.
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Shouldn't be too long before the Mordor script "Tengwar" [dkuug.dk] is formally accepted into unicode ...
But you still can't utter it here because slashcode is just a pile of ç, ÐоÐно, okay then U+7caa!
At least I can still call it cachu.
Why blame CIQ? (Score:3, Insightful)
Their software serves a legitimate purpose. It reports usage metrics so that phone makers can make phones that better serve people's needs. This is a Good Thing.
The problem is that you should be allowed to opt out. Some people don't like participating in these programs, and that should be their choice. By default, CIQ's software lets the user opt out. The problem here is that some companies are blocking that option or making it extremely difficult. They are the ones who should be criticized here.
Re:Why blame CIQ? (Score:5, Informative)
Did you read any of the linked documents? The criticism against CarrierIQ is not necessarily about what they're making, but that they are trying to shut this man up for telling the truth about their products under the guise of copyright claims. That deserves criticism, and lots of it.
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I read the original story, and kinda forgot about it. But after this, my carrier is getting a call. And if they don't tell me how to turn it off, they're getting another.
And since they know who I'm calling, and can kinda predict these things, I'm going to keep calling. Predict this, cos it's coming. There is no excuse for censorship when it's running on MY GODDAM PHONE. It's mine, and if I don't know what it's doing, it's going straight up your ass. Did you predict that? Hope you brought lube. Unles
Re:Why blame CIQ? (Score:4)
Beat up on them for no good reason? They're a spyware manufacturer. Sounds like a perfectly valid reason to me.
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Sure, but that's just their (improper) reaction to the initial wave of criticism. This guy decided to beat up on them for no good reason,
You sound like a real tool right now. The guy is a security researcher and he pointed the finger at some nefarious software. What was he supposed to do? Just go, "Aww, shucks, I know y'all didn't really mean to do all this stuff so I'm a let this one slide.". I mean, WTF man? I you scared their feelings are going to get hurt or something?
Re:Why blame CIQ? (Score:5, Interesting)
Wait, he shines the light of day on a key logger, data recorder and total invasion of privacy, customised for carriers so there are no opt-outs, and he's beating up on them for no reason?
Jesus....
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it was interesting research, very interesting research actually.
either security research OR marketing company research. besides, carrierIQ is just working as mercs in this so they should take the heat. the software isn't that hard to even make! WHAT IS HARD IS TO GET CARRIERS TO INCLUDE IT ON THEIR SW!
I don't think that in the meantime we're forgetting that carriers are bundling it without mentioning it to their customers(why does that matter? well fuck, the customer pays for the data transfers.. the carrie
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At the start? Ease back on the rhetoric (calling it a rootkit, for example), and assign the blame where it's due. Odds are CIQ wouldn't have even cared if he hadn't set out to attack them.
Now? I don't know. The C&D letter is way too demanding to simply submit to. He picked a fight and he's got one. It's a shame he picked the wrong target.
Re:Why blame CIQ? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Why blame CIQ? (Score:5, Insightful)
So what would you call deliberately hidden software running as root, without your knowledge or consent?
Spyware by any other name would smell as bad.
It's a shame he picked the wrong target.
At some point, you have to hold the guys "just doing their job" accountable for their actions. Yes, their customers (the cell carriers) bear the brunt of the bad karma here, but no one sells thumb-screws to 4th-world dictators "for novelty purposes only".
Re:Why blame CIQ? (Score:5, Insightful)
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Except in this case its more like blaming the camera creator for making a device which can record you, instead of Nike for using the camera to record you.
Or in other words, this company makes a software (with opt out options) which carriers purchased, and either disable or obscure the ability to opt-out.
look, there is _nothing_ really great about the sw. it's just a stupid logger that logs everything it can and sends it over. the whole BUSINESS MODEL is to get the carriers to pay for customisations and hosting for it.
you and me buddy, and 4 months, and we could have the same thing. the really hard part is to get some carrier to agree to install it and to pay for it.
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I wholly agree with you, but please learn to communicate more effectively. We'll get more traction that way. I promise.
cost (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Why blame CIQ? (Score:4, Insightful)
Their software serves a legitimate purpose. It reports usage metrics so that phone makers can make phones that better serve people's needs. This is a Good Thing.
The problem is that you should be allowed to opt out. Some people don't like participating in these programs, and that should be their choice. By default, CIQ's software lets the user opt out. The problem here is that some companies are blocking that option or making it extremely difficult. They are the ones who should be criticized here.
The other problem is that you can't opt-out of something if you don't know it's there...
Re:Why blame CIQ? (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, it should be opt-in.
Re:Why blame CIQ? (Score:5, Interesting)
I work for a handset OEM. The requirement to install CIQ on a handset is a mandatory requirement that has come in over the past year or two - the last phone we did just missed having to have it implemented. It is the carriers who get the logging information and we have to do the porting. I agree that users should absolutely have the ability to opt-out of this kind of snooping, but so far there's no requirement for such a setting. I *do* expect to see it very soon though if the carriers know what's good for them. Pressure to drop preloaded craplets worked with Sprint and to a certain extent AT&T, so I expect those to be first with an amended set of requirements, if indeed they don't drop CIQ like a stone for all the bad press they've caused.
Note: it's CarrierIQ not CarrierHighIQ. (Score:2, Funny)
:)
Most importantly... (Score:2)
Re:Most importantly... (Score:5, Informative)
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The stats are strictly opt-in (at least they were the last time I used it) and the security vulnerability was fixed at the time the article you linked to was published... your hyperbolic description of the vulnerability aside.
No, I'm not claiming third party/Cyanogenmod are perfect. But most are at least open and try.
Ha! (Score:5, Funny)
Let's see them track me on my landline! They'll never know where I am!
Streisand effect? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Streisand effect? (Score:4, Informative)
If they can see how crappy my battery life is (Score:3)
does this really matter? (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't know how even on Slashdot there are some people who tend to argue "what do I care, if I'm not doing anything bad with my phone?" Let's get rid of that before it gets started here. I have a Samsung, Android, Sprint phone. That means I apparently have a logger installed that can track every key I press, every message I send, every web site I visit. That means that Sprint, Sprint employees, and whosoever Sprint or its employees should share this information with, whether that be government, advertisers, companies or individuals with malicious or invasive intent, whether this is shared on purpose or by accident or security breach, has access to such things as:
Phones are not just text messaging and dialing devices anymore. A keylogger on my phone is equally offensive as a keylogger on my home PC, and has the potential for just as great a compromise of my life's privacy and security. I have no control over the security with which Sprint or anyone else transmits or stores my personal information, and even more importantly, they have no right to have it in the first place. Besides the fact that the FBI has a well-known history of tracking the lives of many private citizens with politically motivated intent, I certainly do not care for the idea of private corporations and whoever works for them having all of my passwords and knowing where all my accounts are. There is no reasonable argument for why I should think this is okay. I do not have to be doing anything illegal for me to reasonably object to my mobile phone company having, or storing (with who knows what security), a back door into every single piece of my life. Somebody whose involvement in my life is supposed to be merely providing me with telephone service does not need and has no right to expect the master key to my whole digital, financial, social, and business life.
I will be contacting Sprint and asking them for a means to permanently remove this software from my phone. If they are unwilling (which they probably will be, but they need to actively hear a complaint from me and everyone else so they understand the offensiveness of their actions), I will have to go down the "root it and fix it myself" path. I hope the rest of you with affected phones will do the same.
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A removal tool is definitely needed! In fact, Android needs to have a better way to prevent background data on Apps when they are not in use.
Maybe I should just root my Samsung Nexus S 4G and only use ROM's from non-commerical sources, such as from xda-developers.
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Well you enjoy your roms based on stock leaks that include CIQ. Hope cyanogen makes a version for your phone.
Cyanogen is a Samsung employee now. I'm not saying Cyanogenmod is linked in any way with Samsung, just pointing out facts.
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Your username is annoyingly l33t-speak. I'm not saying your post adds nothing to the discussion, just pointing out facts.
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Firstly, your statement that my name is "annoyingly" l33t-speak is an expression of opinion, not fact.
Secondly, you don't think that the main contributor to a custom ROM package being an employee of one of the companies involved in this story is at least interesting, at worst a conflict of interest?
Thirdly, and this is related to the second point, Cyanogenmod 7.1 on the Desire HD does not have any of the CarrierIQ components. To check your own ROM, go to this xda-developers post [xda-developers.com] and download t
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Firstly, your statement that my name is "annoyingly" l33t-speak is an expression of opinion, not fact.
Haha, I suppose.
Secondly, you don't think that the main contributor to a custom ROM package being an employee of one of the companies involved in this story is at least interesting, at worst a conflict of interest?
No, not if you understand what that person's involvement is and how Cyanogenmod works. Cyanogen was hired to improve the compatibility of Cyanogenmod on Samsung phones. Cyanogenmod's source is
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FWIW, Cyanogenmod is compiled from the open source Android repositories, not a dumped and stripped carrier ROM. CarrierIQ has never touched Cyano
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No, it wasn't food for thought, there was no thought there. It was a fact, tangentially related to the story, with no thought other than "just sayin'." The thinking should pre-empt the posting. The posting should be an explanation of the thoughts.
No matter how you romanticize what you're doing, it's nothing a machine couldn't, and with similar results: not even being relevant much of the time. You're adding nothing to the discussion of the article, and the root of what I'm getting at has nothing to do wit
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my work-around: I don't have carrier-paid data plans and I have 'texting' (god, I really hate that word, I really do) disabled as well.
my phone does wifi when I'm at home or at trusted places. other than that, its a cellphone (remember those?) and its there in case I need to make or take calls. then again, I'm in airplane mode at all times unless I'm actually expecting a call.
finally, the phone is bought unlocked (nexus one) and has no ties whatsoever to any carrier. with a pay-as-you-go plan, there's no
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here's now I know: the phone was never 'programmed' by anyone but me (ie, no user/pass/host/access was entered).
surely, you must admit that if there's no login credentials, there's ZERO chance of WAN connections being made. there's not even a way to 'dial out' on data if you've never configured a data access UI page on your phone.
100% sure that no data gets out except for wifi.
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Re:does this really matter? (Score:4, Interesting)
On my work phone are items that are covered I part by. HIPPA +HITEC Act, PCI-DSS and more. Are these folks cOmplying with those laws? If they get breached I get to notify thousands of people who's data may be compromisd??
NothIng could go wrOng.....
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Sorry to burst your bubble, but he did not explain why open is not always good.
You made an incorrect assumption.
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So in other words, they're intercepting my voicemail passwords and pins.
Hey, wasn't that in the news the other day?
Re:does this really matter? (Score:5, Informative)
As I understand the article this only tracks:
key presses on the dialing pad. So they can see what phone number you called, but not what you type in general. When a text is received, not the content of the text
FTFA:
“We’re not looking at texts. We’re counting things. How many texts did you send and how many failed. That’s the level of metrics that are being gathered,” he said.
He answered “probably yes” when asked whether the company could read the text messages if it wanted.
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*key presses on the dialing pad. So they can see what phone number you called, but not what you type in general.
When a text is received, not the content of the text*
WTF MAN? why would they log what numbers you dial WHEN THEY ALEIRJADSAJFIDOSAFJADSOFJSA s ... sorry. when they already have that information, because they're the fucking phone company _connecting_ you to the number you just dialed. think about it for a second. ..and they have the text, of course, since they delivered it. which is why this is all
Cease & Desist fail??? (Score:5, Funny)
Is it me, or is the first point in the "Agreement" that CarrierIQ wants Eckhart to sign actually imply that CarrierIQ is performing the illegal copying???
I _______, agree to immediately
Cease and desist your unlawful copying of the Training Manuals
Goog eye! (Score:2)
With lawyers like that and the EFF on his side, I don't think he has much to worry about.
Does rooting and CM7 get rid of it? (Score:5, Interesting)
This is the only question I have right now. It's only a minor process to root my phone and install CyanogenMod on it.
Someone I was speaking with today was theorizing that there is actually a hypervisor layer running on smart phones, so even if you do root it, you're still not really getting raw access to the hardware - you're just rooting one VM, and this spyware runs in the hypervisor. I don't know how true this is, but I figure someone here knows.
Re:Does rooting and CM7 get rid of it? (Score:5, Informative)
Hypervisors aren't that stealthy, and can be made to reveal themselves quite easily once you perform a trapped instruction. Aside from the massive research cost in coming up with some kind of truly stealthy hypervisor, it would also significantly increase unit costs. So no, there's no hypervisor.
California-Based (Score:2)
This makes them an easy target for a MASSIVE class-action suit. California has some strict consumer protection and privacy laws.
You might want to send something like this to them (Score:5, Informative)
Ms. Woods,
I possess and use an HTC EVO 3D smartphone in line with my daily duties for my employer and various clients. This phone contains your employer's software (CarrierIQ for Sprint), which was bundled with the device and zero disclosure that it was installed or of its capabilities.
My device contains HIPPA-protected data (specifically relating to EMR software and the data contained therein) as well as PCI-DSS related information for my company's various clients. As such, it is protected by all manner of privacy laws, the breach of which results in severe penalties under United States law.
After reading Trevor Eckhart's research and doing some of my own, I am curious as to specifically what data your organization is capturing on Sprint's behalf, as well as to what extent they have customized their build of your software, and what its capabilities with their modifications are.
If the software, either in its original form or modified, does indeed capture data from a phone, including the ability to take screenshots or access the contents of e-mail accounts or SMS messages, this could potentially be in violation of all manner of privacy acts, depending on what data is being harvested and whether your client has the option to turn such collection on or not.
Please note that, among other techniques, I will be disassembling the binaries that I possess on my device and will be comparing it against the original ROM image that HTC has issued for this device in order to differentiate what, if any, changes are pushed out through over-the-air updates in order to determine the capabilities of the software as best I can.
To the best of my knowledge, I have never accepted any license agreements or restrictions regarding the software on my device, and as such, I am not bound to refrain from analyzing the software as I see fit, nor from having the results peer-reviewed and published once completed.
If your department is unable to answer my questions, please relay this to someone else inside your organization as you see fit.
I remain,
INSERT_NAME_HERE
Re:You might want to send something like this to t (Score:5, Insightful)
Although I would like this to work, I'm familiar with PCI-DSS and I'm pretty sure that it's your fault for keeping this data on a cell phone which is not PCI-DSS compliant and not the carrier's/CarrierIQ's
Re: (Score:2)
I would assume that this falls under FERPA/HIPPA regulations as well, and for those, it is on behalf of the user to be aware of potential breaches. Companies certainly can market towards consumers who work in fields that require specific privacy rules to be followed, but that is at the Companies' discretion.
Basically, unless you were sold the device being told specifically that it was safe for use in your line of work and PCI-DSS/HIPPA/FERPA/whatev, I doubt there is any grounds for complaint based on that.
RTFP! (Score:4, Informative)
Read the F*ing Find Print people! Your wireless carrier can do whatever they want with devices provisioned on their network. You therefore cannot be "surprised" when a third party comes along and offers them "services" to track customer usage patterns.
From AT&T Wireless Terms and Conditions [att.com]
You acknowledge that every business or personal decision, to some degree or another, represents an assumption of risk, and that neither AT&T nor its content and service providers or suppliers, in providing information, applications or other content or services, or access to information, applications, or other content underwrites, can underwrite, or assumes your risk in any manner whatsoever.
.... and ....
From 3.1 "My Device"
You are responsible for all phones and other devices containing a SIM assigned to your account ("Devices"). Your Device must be compatible with, and not interfere with, our Services and must comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. We may periodically program your Device remotely with system settings for roaming service, to direct your Device to use network services most appropriate for your typical usage, and other features that cannot be changed manually.
Devices purchased for use on AT&T's system are designed for use exclusively on AT&T's system ("Equipment"). You agree that you won't make any modifications to the Equipment or programming to enable the Equipment to operate on any other system. AT&T may, at its sole and absolute discretion, modify the programming to enable the operation of the Equipment on other systems.
Re:RTFP! (Score:5, Informative)
And that's the problem. Very few of us have the money, energy, or time to fight all the bullshit contracts we have to sign. So they haven't (yet) been thrown out of court. That doesn't change the fact that they're garbage.
Consumer compensation (Score:4, Interesting)
I was hoping someone can convince CarrierIQ to pay the millions of smartphone users that have the software installed on their phone.
If I were to find this software on my phone, might it generally be a violation of the Terms so I can opt out of the contract?
EFF (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
they're cool. check out barlow speaking at eG8 : http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/05/barlow/ [wired.com]
he's like the only person there who isn't a greedy fucking bastard... spot how they all are surprised and if i recall correctly, it was the host who went like "oh, usually everybody agrees here on these things..."
Blackberry's as well? (Score:3)
I use a Blackberry, and I am concerned about this software, yet I cannot find any evidence of the validity of the claims, from any sources other than the original research.
Can anyone verify that CIQ does indeed exist on Blackberrys, and if so, how to remove it?
There is no doubt this is a rootkit (Score:3)
This looks like it would be a very useful tool for debugging. Being able to see things in real time and plain text is very helpful. That being said, so are ssldump, strace, and gdb. However, I don't install any of these utilities unless I need to do some debugging. An application that can not be uninstalled, can not be turned off, and actively divulges private information is nothing less than a spyware rootkit.
Re:This is why I do not use Android (Score:4, Insightful)
yes, because completely anonymous crowd sourced location data is just like having the carrier snoop on your every text and call.