Beware : New Vivo Mobile Phone's Infected With Spyware

[NamoLukeChai]

We recently had purchased a new Vivo X Shot as a replacement of our phone so that we can utilize Dtac's 4G and with all my phone's being that I use it with online banking transfers in my case using the Bangkok Bank App I occasionaly check for Malware using the Malware Bytes Anti-Malware Mobile App. To my surprise when running the full scan the entire opertaning system was found infected within 80 files with the following ( Android/Trojan.DroidKungFu.A ) Trojan.

I then went to the Vivo service center in Chiang Mai to show them this and they did not feel like this is a problem having this spyware and simply did not want to understand that this is a problem. The service tec out of curosity had checked his own Vivo phone and once again his phone was also infected with the same spyware.

We contacted the main office in Bagkok and once again they simply said that's how the phones are arriving from China and do not see a problem of having spyware buit into the operating system. He offered after much going back and forth to replace the circuit board of my new Vivo X Shot phone

so the Vivo tec service rep at Chiang Mai went ahead and removed and replaced the entire operating system in this new phone and once again to our surprise this spyware is and and does come from China rooted into the phone's operating system.

Other then making others aware of this I do not know what else can be done being that Vivo Thailand is aware of this but is not concerned. My advise is to stay away from Vivo until they no longer root this spyware into their phones because in my case they will not do nothing to fix the problem, thats if their is a fix being that as they described thats how the phones are arriving.

[WhizBang]

You are aware that the Android OS, just like Windows 10, is basically spyware, in that pretty much everything you do is being sent back to google or microsoft. Right?

[NamoLukeChai]

Possible, But simply my prior phones did not have this known spyware coming installed from China so no need for me or anyone else to accept it on a new phone.

[WhizBang]

Not saying you should accept it, just saying the Android OS itself, is spyware.

To get rid of the crapware, root your phone then use an app like Root Uninstaller to delete it.

[2fishin2]

Not saying you should accept it, just saying the Android OS itself, is spyware.

To get rid of the crapware, root your phone then use an app like Root Uninstaller to delete it.

Now why do you have to make such an incorrect statement and say Android OS is nothing but spyware? Please guy dont talk such nonsense.

OP sorry but this is the reason you cant purchase these Chinese phones. It is imbedded in the OS and chips. Throw the phone away and purchase a new non Chinese phone.

[Lannig]

Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more common in cheap chinese brand phones (I prefer using chinese brand more than "from China" because basically all smartphones come from China, even those from the most expensive brands).

I've bought an Elephone lately and it did come with adware at least. Didn't need any detection program to find out, I had random shortcuts to game or "hot videos" sites appearing on the launcher's screen. Fortunately that wasn't a system app, just something that got preinstalled so getting rid of it was pretty straightforward.

it's now well known and extensively demonstrated that many of the cheapest no-name tablets come with spyware deeply embedded in the system, much more difficult to get rid of because it resides in the system UI and framework APKs. The www.techknow.me forum has an extensive (quite technical) section about this.

As advised above, better sticking to first or second tier brands if you want to avoid this or you're not knowledgeable enough to clean up by yourself. The Thai importer can't help obviously, as the phone come preinstalled and the factory image they have obviously is infected as well.

[WitawatWatawit]

I'd like to know which brands DON'T have spyware installed.

Or better still, which app can defeat the best efforts to weasle your personal data out of your (chinese?) phone.

[KhunBENQ]

prefer using chinese brand more than "from China" because basically all smartphones come from China, even those from the most expensive brands)

Indeed.

Lets hope Apple has an eye on what the assemblers put on the iPhones

And Samsung, and and and...

Edited December 11, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[2fishin2]

I'd like to know which brands DON'T have spyware installed.

Or better still, which app can defeat the best efforts to weasle your personal data out of your (chinese?) phone.

Neither Apple or Samsung has spyware installed.

[Lannig]

Neither do phones from second-tier brands like Acer, Asus etc.

Even european rebranders like Wiko carefully avoid this. This would mean considerable harm to them if such was found out.

[NamoLukeChai]

.

Edited December 11, 2015 by NamoLukeChai

[NamoLukeChai]

To answer a question my other phones had been Samsung's and I do agree with a poster in that it's best to stay with a top brand when selecting a phone. I'm not familiar with rooting the phone but its a good suggestion which I will attempt to have done before as another poster described disguarding the phone. I'm now back to using my Samsung Grand Duos which is clean and has always worked well but lacked the 4G which I wanted to get the best connection while using the Magic Jack App.

If anyone has any suggestions on how I can have more people aware of this which may put pressure on Vivo Thailand to not ignore this please let me know. I had posted this problem on their Facebook page. Thanks

[Halfaboy]

Do you consider OPPO as a top brand ?

[Halfaboy]

Do you consider OPPO as a top brand ?

[Lannig]

Do you consider OPPO as a top brand ?

Hum, no, not in my opinion, but that's just me.

[RichCor]

If anyone has any suggestions on how I can have more people aware of this which may put pressure on Vivo Thailand to not ignore this please let me know.

I had posted this problem on their Facebook page. Thanks

A bit of caution may be in order. There's a very good reason ThaiVisa initiated the following forum rules:

5) You will not use Thaivisa as a platform to gather support to effect changes on religious, political, or governmental issues.

6) You will not post comments that could be reasonably construed as defamation or libel.

Defamation is the issuance of a statement about another person or business which causes that person to suffer harm. It does not have to be false to be defamatory. Libel is when the defamatory statement is published either in a drawing, painting, cinematography, film, picture or letters made visible by any means, or any other recording instruments, recording picture or letters, or by broadcasting or spreading picture, or by propagation by any other means.

Defamation is both a civil and criminal charge in Thailand.

And comments from a 2010 ThaiVisa advisory post: Accusations & Name & Shame

"...be aware that name and shame posts will be deleted and you could find yourself warned if you do so."

Not to say I don't applaud your efforts.

A company that doesn't care if their product is compromised also shouldn't care if that fact is announced. Just need to find the right venue.

...I wonder if they allow skywriting in Thailand.