NSA planned to hijack the Google Play Store to install spyware on smartphones

[rudeguy]

http://www.androidcentral.com/nsa-a...google-play-store-install-spyware-smartphones


NSA and allies planned to hijack the Google Play Store to install spyware on smartphones

The document, shared by Edward Snowden, detailed plans for the NSA – along with its Five Eyes allies – to hijack the connection between the Google Play Store and the user's device, effectively infecting each and every app listing with spyware. The group ran a series of workshops in Australia back in 2011 and 2012 to develop ways of achieving said end goal. According to the document, as The Intercept reports:

"The main purpose of the workshops was to find new ways to exploit smartphone technology for surveillance. The agencies used the Internet spying system XKEYSCORE to identify smartphone traffic flowing across Internet cables and then to track down smartphone connections to app marketplace servers operated by Samsung and Google. "
Codenamed IRRITANT HORN, the implants would share data from infected smartphones with the agencies without the user being aware said information was being transferred. While smartphone hacking isn't new, previous disclosures by Snowden have revealed how agencies designed spyware for iPhones and Android-powered hardware, it's an insight into how they planned to go about infecting mobile devices.

IRRITANT HORN

The released document also touched on Samsung's app store too, as well as the UC Browser. We should note, however, that current security protocols employed by Google on the Play Store make infecting apps with spyware almost impossible. This means you should feel relatively safe when browsing around the catalogue of apps and downloading the Candy Crush Saga game to steal some minutes of your time.

Both Google and Samsung declined to comment on the news. Be sure to read through the full report on The Intercept.

So we can now add apps to the things that are no longer considered private by the government. Email, web history, web search history, call detail records, content of calls, mail delivery...what's next? Half Life style drones that follow us around taking video and recording every word we speak?


At some point enough has to be enough.

 

[JD50]

So... a signals intelligence agency is going to try to intercept signals for intelligence purposes... isn't that kinda the point? Where does it say that they are doing this illegally?

The headline is wrong too, "hijack the connection" != "hijack the google play store". That is a huge difference.

Edit - BTW, this is yet another instance of Snowden showing his true colors. I thought he was only going to release things that showed a clear violation of the rights of US citizens?

 

[thraashman]

So... a signals intelligence agency is going to try to intercept signals for intelligence purposes... isn't that kinda the point? Where does it say that they are doing this illegally?

The headline is wrong too, "hijack the connection" != "hijack the google play store". That is a huge difference.

Edit - BTW, this is yet another instance of Snowden showing his true colors. I thought he was only going to release things that showed a clear violation of the rights of US citizens?

This would only be legal if the only time they actually did it was with a court order on named individuals. If they just mass did it to all smart phones, it would be highly illegal.

 

[JD50]

This would only be legal if the only time they actually did it was with a court order on named individuals. If they just mass did it to all smart phones, it would be highly illegal.

Where does it say they are doing it to all smart phones? Why is it assumed that this is for use in the US? Android phones are used just about everywhere.

 

[glenn1]

Edit - BTW, this is yet another instance of Snowden showing his true colors. I thought he was only going to release things that showed a clear violation of the rights of US citizens?

Unless their spyware had built-in "American" detection then the plan was a clear violation of the rights of U.S. citizens since intercept against them is illegal. Of course we have to break the law else we'd all die goes the thinking in the War of Terror.

 

[JD50]

Unless their spyware had built-in "American" detection then the plan was a clear violation of the rights of U.S. citizens since intercept against them is illegal. Of course we have to break the law else we'd all die goes the thinking in the War of Terror.

Did you read anything beyond the misleading headline?

 

[Londo_Jowo]

This must not be all that important as none of the MSM is covering it, only tech sites.

 

[glenn1]

Did you read anything beyond the misleading headline?

Yes, and you're being obtuse if you think somehow the NSA even cares if the phones of U.S. citizens are 'hacked' or are taking any steps whatsoever to identify and avoid intercept of citizens. They've proven repeatedly that they don't give a shit about the law and Congress refuses to rein them in.

 

[sm625]

Planned, as in past tense? Hahahha the naivete. There is no reason anyone should believe that they havent already done this multiple times and are not still doing it.

 

[JD50]

Yes, and you're being obtuse if you think somehow the NSA even cares if the phones of U.S. citizens are 'hacked' or are taking any steps whatsoever to identify and avoid intercept of citizens. They've proven repeatedly that they don't give a shit about the law and Congress refuses to rein them in.

Then I guess you don't understand a MITM attack, since you don't think they can figure out who they are attacking.

 

[Jaskalas]

Planned, as in past tense? Hahahha the naivete. There is no reason anyone should believe that they havent already done this multiple times and are not still doing it.

There is no reason anyone should support the NSA's continued existence.
Defund and dismantle.

 

[rudeguy]

There is no reason anyone should support the NSA's continued existence.
Defund and dismantle.

I'd like to add "prosecute" to the list Alex.

 

[glenn1]

Then I guess you don't understand a MITM attack, since you don't think they can figure out who they are attacking.

That is my point, they could know but won't care and will intercept citizens anyway. This isn't your father's NSA which cared about that stuff and obeyed the law or at least tried.

 

[JD50]

That is my point, they could know but won't care and will intercept citizens anyway. This isn't your father's NSA which cared about that stuff and obeyed the law or at least tried.

No, that is not at all what you said, but I'm not going back and forth with you about it, I've seen enough of your posts to know how pointless that would be.

 

[Darwin333]

Planned, as in past tense? Hahahha the naivete. There is no reason anyone should believe that they havent already done this multiple times and are not still doing it.

I unfortunately tend to agree with you.

 

[Darwin333]

I'd like to add "prosecute" to the list Alex.

I would dress up as Barney and do the Macarena in front of the courthouse if that were to happen.

 

[swilli89]

So... a signals intelligence agency is going to try to intercept signals for intelligence purposes... isn't that kinda the point? Where does it say that they are doing this illegally?

The headline is wrong too, "hijack the connection" != "hijack the google play store". That is a huge difference.

Edit - BTW, this is yet another instance of Snowden showing his true colors. I thought he was only going to release things that showed a clear violation of the rights of US citizens?

Dude I'm scared to think I share the country with people like you!

First of all, who cares of what they are doing is "legal" or not? "They" after all, determine what's legal or isn't so that doesn't really matter now does it?

More importantly, they are lying. Deceiving. I don't believe in good versus evil but it just instantly comes off as evil. Edward Snowden is an American hero, he is not a security obsessed fear monger like yourself.

 

[Bock]

Since some of you haven't been paying that much attention to c-span over the last few years. Gov agencies like the IRS & NSA are doing whatever the fuck they want. When they do get caught, they lie, cover it up, destroy the evidence, & probably blackmail their way out of serious prosecution.

 

[MatSm]

Who said that Big Brother doesn't exist? When the government doesn't trust its own tax paying citizens who employ them...isn't it weird? And we just sit and lose more freedoms every day.

 

[JD50]

nvm, not worth it

 

[Slew Foot]

Its OK because a Democrat is in office