A week in security (May 13 – 19)

Last week, Malwarebytes Labs reviewed active and unique exploit kits targeting consumers and businesses alike, reported about a flaw in WhatsApp used to target a human rights lawyer, and wrote about an important Microsoft patch that aimed to prevent a "WannaCry level" attack. We also profiled the...

Flaws in Pre-Installed Apps Expose Millions of Android Devices to Hackers

Bought a new Android phone? What if I say your brand new smartphone can be hacked remotely? Nearly all Android phones come with useless applications pre-installed by manufacturers or carriers, usually called bloatware, and there's nothing you can do if any of them has a backdoor built-in—even if...

Verizon to pre-install a 'Spyware' app on its Android phones to collect user data

If the death of online privacy rules wasn't enough for Internet Service Providers and advertisers to celebrate, Verizon has planned to pre-install spyware on customers' Android devices in order to collect their personal data. The telecom giant has partnered with Evie Launcher to bring a new...

Lenovo Tells Users to Uninstall Vulnerable Updater

Lenovo has waved the white flag on a vulnerable component of its pre-installed software updater and recommends that users uninstall it from more than 110 notebook and desktop models running Windows 10. The decision to have users yank the Lenovo Accelerator Application comes days after a Duo Labs...

OEM Bloatware Security Vulnerabilities Found

Last year’s Superfish and eDellRoot bloatware mishaps exposed the security nightmare that pre-installed software updaters can create on new laptops. And while these two high-profile incidents made the issue public, they’re hardly isolated cases. Many popular consumer and business laptops from...

Maru OS — Android ROM that Turns into Debian Linux When Connected to a PC

Good News for Linux Techno Freaks! Do you usually mess with your Android smartphone by trying out the continual ins and outs of various apps and custom ROMs? Then this news would be a perfect pick for you! What If, you can effectively carry a Linux computer in your pocket? Hereby introducing a ne...

New Android Smartphones will Come with Fewer Pre-installed Apps

A sigh of relief indeed! Google is finally listening to us; it is ditching its haunting bloatware from the upcoming Android smartphones and tablets. As per the current situation, our Android devices are attacked with Google's suite of apps like Google Play Games, Google Newsstand, Google Play...