Data security firm Bluebox has discovered preinstalled malware and a host of other issues with a Xiaomi Mi 4 device the company tested. Scarier still, the phone seems to have been tampered with by an unidentified third party.
Bluebox first issued a report on Thursday, after reaching out to Xiaomi and not getting a response.
When the researchers first received the phone, they made sure it was legitimately a Xiaomi device using Xiaomi’s “Mi Identification” app. Upon further testing, security researchers found that there were several malicious applications preloaded onto the smartphone, including adware that disguises itself as a verified Google application; trojans, which allow hackers to gain control of the phone; and other high-risk software.
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