Preface:

Google Pinyin,QQ,TouchPal,Sogou IME apps has high volume download volume in Google Play store. However user may also be vulnerable to component-hijacking attacks. Do you think whether there are more apps monitor your mobile phone silently!

Start discussion:

We heard technical terms so called predictive search and auto-correction. Google browser (Chrome) keyboard input feature apply similar technologies.

What is predictive search?

Google’s search feature uses a predictive search algorithm based on popular searches to predict a user’s search query. It requires interconnect with Google system.

What is auto-correction?

Auto correction is a feature in which an application predicts the rest of a word a user is typing. It requires interconnect with Google system.

Reality – existing situation in the market 2017

It looks that above criteria make sense, user are allow to disable this function. If mobile owner forgot to enforce the access permission setting. Seems their personal information will be forward to google during web site visiting. Their goal is going to do the web behavior analytic. As far as I know, the applications like google app, Google Zhuyin input, Google  Pinyin input  are maintain the following spy able permissions.

Google App – Reads Browser Bookmarks, Knows location by Cell-ID and WiFi, Knows location by GPS signal, Runs on device startup, Reads all SMS messages and records audio on voice calls

Google Zhuyin Input – Records Audio on Voice Calls, Runs on device startup

Google Pinyin Input – Records Audio on Voice Calls, Runs on device startup

MiTalk (China users) – knows location by GPS signal, Received all SMS messages, Records Audio on Voice calls, Knows location by Cell-ID and WiFi, Handles Outgoing calls and Runs on device startup

Attention –  critical loophole

In 2015, a group of researcher in Chinese university of Hong Kong (Wenrui Diao, Xiangyu Liu, Zhe Zhou, Kehuan Zhang, Zhou Li) found a vulnerability on Pinyin input. A vulnerability so called cross-app KeyEvent injection (CAKI) attack will be encountered on Google Pinyin input method. The flaw is that it allow 3rd party to harvest entries from the personalized user dictionary of IME through an ostensibly innocuous app only asking for common permissions.

Android CAKI vulnerability

Speculation:

We keep track of android vulnerabilities so far. I note with concerns of CVE-2016-9651.  This vulnerability is allow to collect the Invisible Private Property on your android phone. Details is shown as below:

Get all properties of an special object by d8 shell command

d8> var specialObject = new Error("test");
d8> var ownNames = Object.getOwnPropertyNames(specialObject);
d8> var ownSymbols = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(specialObject);
d8> var ownKeys = ownNames.concat(ownSymbols)
d8> ownKeys
["stack", "message"] ---------> all public properties got by normal JavaScript
d8> %DebugPrint(specialObject)
DebugPrint: 0x3058e8cd: [JS_ERROR_TYPE]
- map = 0x53d0945d [FastProperties]
- prototype = 0x2560b9e1
- elements = 0x45384125 <FixedArray[0]> [FAST_HOLEY_SMI_ELEMENTS]
- properties = { ---------> all properties got by DebugPrint
#stack: 0x453d012d <AccessorInfo> (accessor constant)
#message: 0x453bb18d <String[4]: test> (data field at offset 0)
0x453859f1 <Symbol: stack_trace_symbol>: 0x3058e9c1 <JS Array[6]> (data field at offset 1) ---------> private property
}

If above flaw co-exists with this vulnerability. Sounds like a prefect surveillance backdoor allow 3rd to collect the information of your android phone. As a matter of fact, the surveillance program or cyber espionage keep track of our mobile activities daily. If such action is collected by your government for crime prevention purpose or big data foundation framework. From certain point of view, we have no doubt to say no. However, who can say how much is the value your personal privacy on your mobile phone?

Reference:

Mobile phone applications – access permission component

Application must have an AndroidManifest.xml file in its root directory. The manifest file provides essential information about your app to the Android system, which the system must have before it can run any of the app’s code. Manifest file capable declares the permissions (see below) that the application must have in order to access protected parts of the API and interact with other applications. It also declared the permissions that others are required to have in order to interact with the application components.

Sample – Manifest file capable declares the permissions

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.photoeffect"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0" >

<uses-sdk
    android:minSdkVersion="8"
    android:targetSdkVersion="18" />

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_LOCATION_EXTRA_COMMANDS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.example.towntour.permission.MAPS_RECEIVE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CALL_PHONE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.providers.gsf.permission.READ_GSERVICES" />

Mobile apps like your wife or girlfriend. They are tracing you!

Preface

Power is always dangerous…..Android rule the world

About mobile phone security

Independently conducted by antihackingonline

The attack hit rate on personal mobile devices rate high. Mobile phone user enjoy to play the game apps. In order to fulfill the application requirement, their web browser require enable the plugins like Flash and Java in order to display some interactive content.

Culprit – Android OS (Zygote)

Zygote is a software component of the Android operating system uses to start apps.  The mechanism of the Zygote process will create a process (System call fork() is used to create processes), and the child process continues where it left off, loading the app itself into the VM.

ActivityThread,main() – see below

public static void main(String[] args) {
    ...
    Environment.initForCurrentUser();
    ...
    Process.setArgV0("<pre-initialized>");
    //Create the main thread looper
    Looper.prepareMainLooper();

    ActivityThread thread = new ActivityThread();
    //attach To the system process
    thread.attach(false);

    if (sMainThreadHandler == null) {
        sMainThreadHandler = thread.getHandler();
    }

    //The main thread enters the loop state
    Looper.loop();

    throw new RuntimeException("Main thread loop unexpectedly exited");
}

Zygote require root permissions on Android OS but it is an inherit right. And therefore Process ID is 1.

Remark: ID 1: init process, invoked by the kernel at the end of the bootstrap procedure.

Android zygote security weaknesses caused by performance design

An evaluation program found that the Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) not effectively implement in Android OS. As a result , it leaving software components vulnerable to attacks that bypass the protection. Zygote process creation model causes two types of  memory  layout  sharing  on  Android,  which  undermine  the effectiveness of ASLR. Firstly, the code of an application is always loaded at the exact same memory location across different runs even when  ASLR  is  present;  and  secondly,  all  running apps  inherit  the  commonly  used  libraries  from  the  Zygote process (including the libc library). For more details about the weakness of ASLR on VM. Please refer to below URL for reference.

Copy – He is great partner of virtual machine but he can kill VM simultaneously – address space layout randomization

Remark: Android 7.0 or above, library load order randomization and ASLR improved. The major improvement goal increase randomness feature. As a result it makes some code-reuse attacks decrease successful rate.

Inline hooking – Inline hooking is a method of intercepting calls to target functions. For instance, prepares hooks for the following system properties.

• java.lang.System.getProperty()
• android.app.Instrumentation.newApplication()
• com.android.internal.telephony.SMSDispatcher.dispatchPdus()
• android.app.ActivityManager.getRunningServices()
• android.app.ActivityManager.getRunningAppProcesses()
• android.app.ApplicationPackageManager.getInstalledPackages()
• android.app.ApplicationPackageManager.getInstalledApplications()

If the software developer would like to obtains SMS data on your mobile phone (Android), he can do the following steps.

1. Manages SMS operations such as sending data
   

   void sendDataMessage (String destinationAddress, 
                   String scAddress, 
                   short destinationPort, 
                   byte[] data, 
                   PendingIntent sentIntent, 
                   PendingIntent deliveryIntent)

   2. The null pointer exception is directly linked to name. i.e. isms or isms2.

   3. The transact() method is redefined in the customized program “isms” (or isms2) binder realization, replacing the original.

   4. When the parent application of the customized program sends an SMS it leads to the call of the customized program transact() method.
   

   5. As a result, the customized program can obtains SMS data (destination number, message text, service center number) from raw PDU.

Current status

It is hard to draw into conclusion on this discussion topics this moment. We keep our eye open see whether a new vulnerability find on Zygote in 3rd quarter in 2017 . Ok, have a good sleep.  Zzzzzzz……

Preface:

Numbers 31:3 “So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.”

If you are familiar with Bible, you might know who’s Midian. Some scholars have suggested that Midian was not a geographical area but a league of tribes.

Cope with nowadays cyber security world.  Sounds like Midian equivalent of a  malware. Man kind is going to find a way protect the electronic devices including computer, mobile phone and IoT devices.

2017 threats predictions (mobile phone)

We all  known ransomware aggressive 1st quarter this year and believed that similar of attacks will continue to grow. We aware that malware and malicious code embedded on Google Play store applications significant increases. And therefore the downloading apps from unknown and untrusted markets has always been more dangerous. And predicts that similar type of incidents will be happens continuously. Besides  there are hardware vulnerabilities during the last several years—including vulnerabilities in microprocessors and DRAM technology. May be you might ask? How mobile phone especially Android to protect itself?

Let’s talk a closer look see whether we can find the hints

Fundamental of Android APT

Android use the standard process isolation to split application.  The application reading each-other’s data by requesting permissions in the apk’s. By requesting permissions in the apk’s
AndroidManifest it is possible to get those granted by the PackageManager. Such permissions can result in applications being run under the same user id.

Heads-up: This is the reason Google is having a hard time getting rid of malicious Android apps

APK Installation Process

An additional Android manifest file, describing the name, version, access rights, referenced library files for the application. As such, the Manifest files plays an important role for every android application. From the perspective of security the manifest file is usually the first thing that a penetration tester will check on an engagement. The android:protectionLevel attribute defines the procedure that the system should follow before grants the permission to the application that has requested it. This is a major part of Android security feature. And this is one of the important protection feature of Android.

All the permissions that the application requests should be reviewed to ensure that they don’t introduce a security risk.

Below is an example showing that an inherent risk found on Android manifest file. The setting lack of signature permission.

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<manifest package="org.qtproject.example.notification" xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:versionName="1.0" android:versionCode="1" android:installLocation="auto">
    <application android:icon="@drawable/icon" android:name="org.qtproject.qt5.android.bindings.QtApplication" android:label="@string/app_name">
        <activity android:configChanges="orientation|uiMode|screenLayout|screenSize|smallestScreenSize|locale|fontScale|keyboard|keyboardHidden|navigation"
                  android:name="org.qtproject.example.notification.NotificationClient"
                  android:label="Qt Notifier"
                  android:screenOrientation="unspecified">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/>
            </intent-filter>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.lib_name" android:value="-- %%INSERT_APP_LIB_NAME%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.qt_sources_resource_id" android:resource="@array/qt_sources"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.repository" android:value="default"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.qt_libs_resource_id" android:resource="@array/qt_libs"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.bundled_libs_resource_id" android:resource="@array/bundled_libs"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.bundle_local_qt_libs" android:value="-- %%BUNDLE_LOCAL_QT_LIBS%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.bundled_in_lib_resource_id" android:resource="@array/bundled_in_lib"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.bundled_in_assets_resource_id" android:resource="@array/bundled_in_assets"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.use_local_qt_libs" android:value="-- %%USE_LOCAL_QT_LIBS%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.libs_prefix" android:value="/data/local/tmp/qt/"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.load_local_libs" android:value="-- %%INSERT_LOCAL_LIBS%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.load_local_jars" android:value="-- %%INSERT_LOCAL_JARS%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.static_init_classes" android:value="-- %%INSERT_INIT_CLASSES%% --"/>
            <meta-data android:value="@string/ministro_not_found_msg" android:name="android.app.ministro_not_found_msg"/>
            <meta-data android:value="@string/ministro_needed_msg" android:name="android.app.ministro_needed_msg"/>
            <meta-data android:value="@string/fatal_error_msg" android:name="android.app.fatal_error_msg"/>
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.splash_screen_drawable" android:resource="@drawable/logo"/>
            -->
        </activity>
    </application>
    <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="16" />
    <supports-screens android:largeScreens="true" android:normalScreens="true" android:anyDensity="true" android:smallScreens="true"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
</manifest>

Android-APT project page:

As we know Android APT plugin officially obsoleted. The Android Gradle plugin (version 2.2) replaced the traditional plug in (Android APT) on Oct 2016.

An announcement issued by Android studio. Annotation Processing became available in Android Gradle plugin (2.2 and later) so there is now no need to use the Android APT plugin anymore if using version 2.2 of gradle or above.

You can remove the line :

apply plugin: 'com.neenbedankt.android-apt'

Question: How about the security status who still supports Android APT plugin?

If the Android Gradle plugin not in use, it is still a Eclipse project. Currently android-apt works fine with version 2.2 of the Android Gradle plugin, but it doesn’t work with jack.

Is there security concerns on Android APT plugin?

Plugin technology was initially introduced by third parties to add additional enhancements and capabilities to Android.The plugin will find all AspectJ aspects available in the project compile classpath, plugin class and weave .class files. Meanwhile AspectJ allow to hook. AspectJ to work on Android we have to make use of some hooks when compiling our app and this is only possible using the android-library gradle plugin.

From security point of view, plugin design might contain inherent risk because of the fundamental hook process design. The Android plugin technology is an innovative application-level virtualization framework that allows a mobile application to dynamically load and launch another app without installing the app. This technology was originally developed for purposes of hot patching and reducing the released APK size. The primary application of this technology is to satisfy the growing demand for launching multiple instances of a same app on the same device, sounds like I log in my personal and business Gmail  accounts simultaneously.

Abbreviations 1: Weave (Web-based Analysis and Visualization Environment)

Abbreviations 2: AspectJ is an aspect-oriented programming (AOP) extension created at PARC for the Java programming language. It is available in Eclipse Foundation open-source projects, both stand-alone and integrated into Eclipse.

APT, AspectJ, Javassist corresponding component

Sound scary but Android have their solution to mitigate the risk?

Can we wait for Android O?

Preface

I’m smart brain, gave me lazy….

The implementation of the smart phone change people life style. Any time any where you can get in touch with the world. It break follow the sun operation concept. Why? Both online shopping and settlement simultaneously because of electronic payment function. Below bar chart on left hand side shown internet users in select countries who purchase items via mobile device in 2013. Less than 3 years time, a significant usage of mobile payment has been growth in Greater China (see below picture right hand side).

Cyber attack is a never ending story. Malware infection technique take the advantage of computer users negligence. Even though Bank did not have expection. The headline news shocked the world includes The Bangladesh Bank robbery. It was so called the Bangladesh Bank heist, took place in February 2016, when SWIFT instructions to steal US$951 million from Bangladesh Bank.

In order to avoid cyber incident happen on electronic payment transaction. Financial industry especially payment gateway services provider find perfection of authentication method goal enhance the reliability of payment. For instance 2 factor authentication, a second random generation of pass code go through SMS forward to you mobile phone.

Electronic wallet upside down to the world

A third-party online payment platform was launched in China in 2004 by Alibaba Group. As times goes by, now the biggest market share in China with 400 million users. The coverage near 50% of China’s online payment market in October 2016. As of today electronic wallet looks like flooding went to different countries in the world especially China. Electronic wallet initiate by mobile phone. Below table can provide an hints to you in this regard.

Background

A digital wallet refers to an electronic device that allows an individual to make electronic transactions

Digital wallet infrastructure elements

.

The account information and Card type lure the interest of criminals. But are you aware that there are difference in between mobile computing (electronic wallet) and traditional internet payment function (without electronic wallet). See below informatic diagram. Even though how precise and advanced encryption technology are deployed. But it is difficult to avoid a single device facing compromise. Personally I am not suggest my friend to use electronic wallet on his mobile phone. My friend was told even though money lost because of malware, it only lost the charge money value. Yes, from technical point of view it is correct. But reminded you that mobile OS is fragile. Why does it say mobile OS is fragile?

Why does it say mobile OS is fragile?

Android phone

(Memory)

Both the Android Runtime (ART) and Dalvik virtual machine perform routine garbage collection, this does not mean you can ignore when and where your app allocates and releases memory. Software designer need to avoid introducing memory leaks, usually caused by holding onto object references in static memory variables, and release any Reference objects at the appropriate time as defined by lifecycle callbacks.

Side effect of above defect – The easiest way to leak an Activity is by defining a static variable inside the class definition of the Activity and then setting it to the running instance of that Activity. If this reference is not cleared before the Activity’s lifecycle completes, the Activity will be leaked. So all depends on mobile apps developer design. It is hard to avoid memory leak. As you know, what is the defect of memory leak? Hacker relies on this error can implant malware.

If you would like to know more details, please refer below articles.

Heard that Android operating not secure anymore, but it is properly not.

How about IOS?

Design weakness:

Every WebKit object is RefCountedBase object

Mobile Safari and most of WebKit Apps leak address – Fill in another object and use the JS pointer of the old object to read information of the new object.

Should you have interest know the details on above matter, please refer below:

Meteor shower – Apple iPhone

Checkpoint : If above 2 technical articles make you feeling confused. Tired, you are not able to read. No problem we can jump to summary of this discussion. The information will stay here, anytime you have interest you are free to read.

Summary:

IT & cyber security technologies due to limit development life cycle. OS claim itself is safe today but is it hard to guarantee next 6 months. The most fundamental weakness in mobile device security is that the security decision process is dependent on yourself. You are allow anywhere play online games & watch on-line TV program. Because of the web browser extend feature, uncountable plug-In drivers will install to your mobile phone. How about your personal information includes your personal account information. Do you think only relies on your local antivirus. The so called malware detection program can aviod the cyber attack?

My personal suggestion is that think it over before install or make use of electronic wallet on your mobile phone.

Have a nice day, Good Bye!

Preface:

What’s our objective to discussion this topic today? Our goal is going to protect user privacy. As we know, internet traffic are under surveillance. This activities not limited to China nowadays. It was includes the major leader countries in Europe, England and USA.

Situation in China

The country like China provides a clear announcement. The China government was told that all internet traffics in China are under surveillance. And thus that they build the great wall (firewall).  (Tianhe-1 and Tianhe-2 (Milkyway-2) are capable to take this responsibility.

2016 Supercomputer magazine

Situation in United State

How about the surveillance program status from NSA (National security agency) . The NSA has official announcement was that after a comprehensive review of mission needs, current technological constraints, United States person privacy interests, and certain difficulties in implementation, NSA has decided to stop some of its activities conducted under Section 702. For more details, please find below URL for references:

NSA Statement: NSA Stops Certain Section 702 “Upstream” Activities – For more detail, please refer below url for reference.

https://www.nsa.gov/news-features/press-room/statements/2017-04-28-702-statement.shtml

NSA Stops Certain Foreign Intelligence Collection Activities Under Section 702 – For more detail, please refer below url for reference.

https://www.nsa.gov/news-features/press-room/press-releases/2017/nsa-stops-certain-702-activites.shtml

NSA Transparency Report: THE USA FREEDOM Act Business Records FISA Implementation – 15 January 2016 – For more detail, please refer below url for reference.

https://www.nsa.gov/about/civil-liberties/reports/assets/files/UFA_Civil_Liberties_and_Privacy_Report.pdf

Above items given an idea to people our communications (electronic or without electronic) are under surveillance. A positive thinking of idea told yourself that such policy are going to fight against crimes. Apart from that are you aware of your personal privacy especially your mobile phone camera (Lens)? We known more secret on mobile phone recently. The execution of JavaScript or HTML5  allow access your mobile phone camera from Chrome (example shown as below):

Enable camera and microphone in packaged application for Chrome OS

navigator.webkitGetUserMedia({ audio: true, video: true },
            function (stream) {
                mediaStream = stream;
            },
            function (error) {
                console.error("Error trying to get the stream:: " + error.message);
            });    

Remark: The audio and video for a <webview>-embedded page require permission. It will alert mobile phone owner. A software developer hints that the require permission might embedded audioCapture and videoCapture and put the permissions in manifest.json. The mobile phone user might not aware.

Below HTML5 program language which allow to select the source and pass it in as optional into getUserMedia. This function is available in Chrome web browser.

Step 1: Select source

MediaStreamTrack.getSources(gotSources);

Step 2: pass it in as optional into getUserMedia

var constraints = {
  audio: {
    optional: [{sourceId: audioSource}]
  },
  video: {
    optional: [{sourceId: videoSource}]
  }
};
navigator.getUserMedia(constraints, successCallback, errorCallback);

Step 3: Put the permissions on manifest.json or manifest.xml. The mobile phone user might not aware.

Above audio and video capture functions only do a reverse engineering will transform to other criteria of function receive your personal photo. Are you aware of it ?

Summary:

Refer to above information. It looks that we need to spend more job affords to close the back door on your mobile phone, right? But the easy way to do from end user side is that just disable the camera on your mobile phone browser. Or just use a sticker to disable it. It is straight forward, bye!