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Well this isn’t good news for anyone with an HTC smart phone. HTC is looking into a security flaw exposed by Android Police that means your data could well be at risk. Your emails, GPS position, texts and more could all be vulnerable. Be afraid…
Apparently the cause is recent software updates to HTC handsets. HTC introduced a suite of logging tools that collects lots of information, and in so doing inadvertently put your privacy at risk.
Basically, the flaw is called “android.permission.INTERNET,” and you should be wary of any app that involves it. So what exactly could someone find out about you? Well someone could duplicate your entire phone from the information they gather from the flaw. Your contacts, texts, emails, call log, where you’ve been based on your GPS location, the lot.
Developer Trevor Eckhart is the man responsible for finding the flaw and he, along with Android Police, are still investigating just how deep this goes — but alarm bells are already ringing. As AP puts it on its report: “It’s like leaving your keys under the mat and expecting nobody who finds them to unlock the door.”
Doesn’t sound good, does it?
The only way to fix it is either by rooting your device (though that’s no guarantee, as even rooted phones are susceptible if they download a dodgy app), or through an update from HTC. The company issued the following statement: “HTC takes our customers’ security very seriously, and we are working to investigate this claim as quickly as possible. We will provide an update as soon as we’re able to determine the accuracy of the claim and what steps, if any, need to be taken.”
Android Police hasn’t verified every handset affected, but the Evo 3D, “some Sensations” and the upcoming Vigor seem to among them. Its advice? Avoid any dodgy-looking apps.
Stay safe out there.
