back to article Chinese firm accused of mobile malware ruse

Chinese security firm NetQin has been accused of conspiring to plant malicious software on users' handsets in order to drum up business for its mobile security software. NetQin denies the alleged ruse, the mechanics of which were broadcast during a recent episode of 3.15 Gala, a Chinese consumer rights programme on state-run …

COMMENTS

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Failiu...

    ...more like Failure AM I RITE?!?!

    Where did I leave my coat...

  2. Matt Siddall

    not sure that it works

    If they have to pay 2 Yuan to have the malicious app installed on the phone, then remove it for a payment of 2 Yuan, how are they making any money from it? Surely they'd lose money due to some people not having it removed, or taking the phone elsewhere to have it fixed...

  3. The BigYin

    Unrequested applications...

    ...that are a cost to remove? Gosh. Who'd ever have thought of that?

    Apart from Dell.

    And HP.

    And Toshiba.

    And Sony.

    And every other box shifter.

  4. GettinSadda
    WTF?

    Hang on...

    So if I understand this right...

    You are saying that NetQin (or a related company) pays 2 Yuan for dealers to install a malware app on users' phones, in the hope that the users will pay NetQin 2 Yuan to remove the malware?

    If this is true, then the very best that NetQin can achieve (if every inflicted user pays to have the malware removed) is to break even.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    Wait, what?

    I thought Europe phones uses the same band as China ones. Why the hell do you need to tweak the firmware for it to work in China?

    Sounds extra suspicious that they'd tell people that European phones need to be modified to be functional in China in the first place.

    1. TonyG

      ...different requirements in China.

      There's lots of reasons why the firmware needs tweaking for China (and other countries as well).

      One example is cypher indication. In Europe you have to display an indicator when cyphering isn't enabled. In China this isn't displayed so you can't tell if cyphering is active or not...

  6. JeffyPooh
    Pint

    Allow me to say...

    Ni de dian hua!

  7. This post has been deleted by its author

  8. Ilgaz

    OK, this is real, they are that stupid.

    I had a post who really checks the reality of Sophos blog post but after checking and finding that it is China state tv itself uncovered the story, I had to withdraw it with a shame.

    There is absolutely no limit to business suit stupidity since I used the Netqin stuff, they are goodly coded things which they could sell legimately.

    As of now, Nokia Ovi store doesn't list any Netqin product. So long than and I pity those developers who has been victims of the managers.

  9. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

    "a Chinese consumer rights programme on state-run TV"

    Okay...

    "Feiliu is designed to remove security products that might be present on the device, while making the operation of the phone sluggish and prone to crashes."

    Is that all that it does? And doesn't it infringe Microsoft patents, e.g. Windows Phony 7, by doing that?

    Although Apple invented "sluggish and prone to crashes" in the 1980s, starting with their "Lisa" computer.

    Strangely, anything that's already been done on a computer, you can do on a phone and patent it all over again. This is called "innovation". You could patent skateboard wheels on a Samsung tablet - not sure about iPad, it isn't a phone...

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