Amazon vendors flog thousands of rooted, malware-laden tablets Amazon is unwittingly acting as the retail channel for thousands of Android devices preloaded with nightmare advertising malware and with operating systems rooted, users and security boffins allege. The blackbox tablets badged under various brands and flogged on the ecommerce site and elsewhere are A$100 (£50) Android units …
Cheap means that all corners were cut, minimal quality assurance was done and the only thing they might have checked before shipping is that the thing can actually start.
So yes, people should be wary of cheap electronics that can connect to the Internet. By paying a proper price, you can at least go back to the store and raise an almighty stink on some poor sales schlub if the kit you buy is malware-ridden.
Cheap means the manufacturers have to find other ways to raise money.
Infact if a 'real' analysis was performed people would find WAY more of these TV boxes and slabs have root code in.
Some of it is compiled into the actual kernel modules of the underlying OS.........
The only time I purchase a Chinese made TVbox is when I want the hardware to load my own kernels on.
When something is cheap, not like cheapish or a very good deal, but really really, mindbogglingly, apallingly, horrifically cheap - like, say, a low mileage 2014 Beemer M3 in perfect nick for 3 grand - you should not expect something is wrong with it. You can be bloody sure there is.
So I gather this ISNT the £50 jobbie then? As that one (Assuming we on about the Kindle 7 5th Gen), has a MediaTek MT8135 SoC in it, and NOT an Allwinner one. But, yeah unless your willing to spluge a bit more for the Device. I gathered that the extra bit of Maleware was an >implied courtesy on Amazon's behalf.
Something that someone with enough intelligence to buy one of these, should have to pop 'round over to xda-devlopers to hop like some dog though a bunch of hoops to be rid of...Till the next update. Which could also be set to ignore.
But, again as with most MediaTek Equipment. It starts off well enough, till such brave fools working on it discover how the Chinese SoC Operators work, the quietly give up. Having just had a poke over there, to get the exact MT SoC in use (See above), it seems that yet again such "Devs" are dropping like so many Flies again.
What an unexpected outcome.... NOT!
That said when cleaned up to such an extent, it could be a decent bit of kit, for the Cash. Just don't expect to ever see Android Marshmallow on it ever.
No. This is tablets sold _through_ Amazon the retailer, not Amazon branded tablets. I had assumed it might be those from the headline, but then I, you know, read the article.
Amazon's quality control would be very unlikely to let this happen on their own-brand devices, and their update mechanisms would definitely allow them to fix it quickly. And they would fix it very quickly to prevent damage to their reputation.
Also - MediaTek is a Taiwanese company, not a Chinese one. But don't let that stop your ranting.
1) One China till Taiwan ganis full independence. They are Chinese (too me!)
2) Don't you think that Amazon has better things to do then worry about what somebodys reflogging from Alibaba? If you really want to go down that lane. Then how do you fell about Fleabay Sellers who are doing the exact same thing over there? Why pick on just Amazon then?
And no I stopped on the Headline... As it was >implied to be about the £50 Kindle 7. Though I'll begrudge you that this isn't the only £50 Tablet out there. But, I'll defend everything else I said.
The headline was pure clickbait. If they'd named the tablet manufacturers or Allwinner then nobody would have clicked on it. I assume these tablets are not only sold through Amazon - I'm sure they could have written the same story with ebay rather than Amazon.
I'll bet that those tablets continue to be sold on Amazon, regardless of feedback or complaints. IME and from their own products reviews Amazon show zero interest when informed of fake, misrepresented or downright dangerous goods flogged through their site. Try finding a "GENUINE xxxx" mobile phone charger for instance. They really should accept some responsibility for what's sold on their platform.
Not to mention, the orginal manufactorer and Google.
The original manufactorer should be required to provide easily accessible images to restore to factory image or be required to fix any that are rooted.
A hall of shame listing those manufactorers that refuse support would be a good idea, let everyone know those who think they can walk away after sale.
To be honest though given Google's indifferance to application permissions abuse on their play store it is hard to say which is worse a known rootkit or what is offically availible.
Smoking out dodgy software is SOP with virtually all of these bargain Android devices from China. Not to be culturally insensitive but I can't help but feel that the vendors don't see a problem since they exist in a part of the world where the notion of privacy differs from the Western view.
I wouldn't feel too smug about owning a MediaTek device either, those are quite frequently backdoored as well.
I wouldn't feel too smug about owning a MediaTek device either, those are quite frequently backdoored as well.
That said FWIW Hardware wise (and without a thought for it), MediaTek SoCs aren't really that bad. If they'd just be assed into releasing most of the source(s) needed to build custom ROMs like the big boys then I'd be willing to support 'em more. Problem is they just make the SoC, then sell that to some ODM who plants it in his design before selling it for $50.00 a PC. 500 minimum order on Alibaba please contact us about custom boot screens for additional $$$.
So the only cat that might have the code is the ODM, and they just want to push the next thing. 'Cause the shmuck selling his Warez on Amazon / Fleabay is sure to have the Code. NOT!
If you buy bottom price of something and it's imported from China, don't have high expectations. The stuff I've come across is horrendous as far as quality control and basic safety standards. Table saws, dirt cheap but made using MDF and no safety guards. Laser cutters with no safety guards and maladjusted mirrors that that put the beam anywhere. Customer service is appallingly bad. Worse then worse ever ISP or software vendor that we've been known to blast in the comments. If something comes broken in shipping, it's your problem. Instruction manuals are laughable. Copyright and patents do not apply to them, apparently either.
Seems the Chinese will do anything for some profit. In IT remember the laptops with the pre-installed malware a few months ago? And they were a brand name.
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