A Free but Malware Infected Phone — Courtesy of the US Taxpayer

Leave it to the government to provide Chinese infected mobile devices to those on the LIfeline Assistance program. As it turns out, the one company, Assurance Wireless. They have the contract to provide inexpensive cell service along with free Android smartphones to needy citizens. They do so by purchasing Unimax Android cell phones that come pre-installed with unremovable malicious Chinese firmware that opens up a backdoor and puts the private data of the user at risk through the use of firmware over the air update system provided by the Chinese company called Adups. These devices contain an app called Wireless Update that includes the Adups malware to provide such updates. Devices from this company are still vulnerable today as the company denies the presence of such “malware.” Additionally, this update software can be triggered to install apps without the user’s knowledge.