Android keylogger on phones

[bedlamite]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/30/smartphone_spying_app/

Everything online has already been tracked for years, but this is a little more than I expected.

Anyone know anything about this, and can it be removed with a root, or is it built into the OS?

[Hawkmoon]

Reason number 4,387 why I don't want a "smart" phone.

[AJ Dual]

Reason number 4,387 why I don't want a "smart" phone.

Actually, the smartphone is better, because there you at least have a chance to ferret out any objectionable code because Android is open source and has wide venues of non-carrier and non-maker support that's independent.

A "dumb phone" can just as easily have malicious functions, and you have no way of knowing, or doing anything about it.

[Hawkmoon]

Actually, the smartphone is better, because there you at least have a chance to ferret out any objectionable code because Android is open source and has wide venues of non-carrier and non-maker support that's independent.

A "dumb phone" can just as easily have malicious functions, and you have no way of knowing, or doing anything about it.

But if this little (ahem) "feature" is a rootkit tool, isn't that like firmware rather than operating system? Does the open source operating system even give you access to it?

[bedlamite]

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-02/at-t-sprint-defend-use-of-carrier-iq-user-tracking-software.html

[French G.]

I love my Tracphone.

[GigaBuist]

For those of you looking for a Carrier IQ free Android platform there's Cyanogenmod.  I've been running a variant on my phone (an original Droid) for probably 18 months now.

http://www.cyanogenmod.com/blog/cyanogenmod-will-never-have-carrier-iq

[KPT]

But if this little (ahem) "feature" is a rootkit tool, isn't that like firmware rather than operating system? Does the open source operating system even give you access to it?

That is the beauty of android. Cyanogen mod ("open source operating system") doesn't give you access to carrier IQ because it does not have carrier IQ. When people say rom for an android phone it is the firmware.

Just to give you an idea of the crap that comes on a stock phone, the stock rom for my phone is around 400 megs. Cyanogen for my phone is around 90 megs, and has more functionality.

[Hawkmoon]

That is the beauty of android. Cyanogen mod ("open source operating system") doesn't give you access to carrier IQ because it does not have carrier IQ. When people say rom for an android phone it is the firmware.

Just to give you an idea of the crap that comes on a stock phone, the stock rom for my phone is around 400 megs. Cyanogen for my phone is around 90 megs, and has more functionality.

I'm still confused, but given that I'm a technological troglodite (and Luddite) that's hardly a surprise.

So, say I buy an Android-based smart phone from AT&T, so it has this Carrier IQ built into its operating system. Further suppose I'd like to dump the 400 megs of OEM bloatware and try this nifty, sleeker, kinder, gentler CyanogenMod OS. How does an end user just DUMP the operating system of a smart phone and install something entirely new -- and still have a functioning smart phone that works on said user's account and telephone number?

[bedlamite]

I'm still confused, but given that I'm a technological troglodite (and Luddite) that's hardly a surprise.

So, say I buy an Android-based smart phone from AT&T, so it has this Carrier IQ built into its operating system. Further suppose I'd like to dump the 400 megs of OEM bloatware and try this nifty, sleeker, kinder, gentler CyanogenMod OS. How does an end user just DUMP the operating system of a smart phone and install something entirely new -- and still have a functioning smart phone that works on said user's account and telephone number?

http://www.androidauthority.com/rooting-for-dummies-a-beginners-guide-to-root-your-android-phone-or-tablet-10915/