Android: intrusive ads install applications without users knowing

Android is the target of very intrusive advertisements. According to numerous testimonials that have appeared online, these advertisements are capable of installing applications without the users’ knowledge. Explanations.

Fraudulent ads seek to install apps on Android smartphones without the consent of their owner, report our colleagues from Android Police. Citing testimonials that appeared on the Play Store or on Reddit, the media claims that seemingly innocuous advertisements have managed to circumvent the limitations put in place by Google.

On the page dedicated to the “Weather Home – Live Radar Alerts & Widget” app, there are many comments to this effect. “Please note, this app downloads itself without permission. I clicked on a pop-up window and the download started automatically ”, testifies a surfer. “The app installs itself and completely changes your home screen without your consent”, adds a user. For many Android users, the app deliberately complicates its uninstallation.

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Preinstalled software allows you to bypass Google protections

According to Android Police, the applications are based on a system application called DT Ignite, a solution offered by Digital Turbine, an end-to-end solution provider for mobile technology companies. According to the media, this solution is able to bypass some of the security restrictions put in place by Google on Android phones.

Even more concerning, it seems that this workaround is preinstalled in the code of some smartphones directly when leaving the factory. The solution, which functions essentially as a backdoor, was notably installed at the request of certain American operators (T-Mobile and Verizon) in order to place apps on their subscribers’ smartphones. As a reminder, this is not the first time that questionable software has been preinstalled on leaving the factory by manufacturers.

“DT software is added directly to the phone’s firmware. Some manufacturers do it to share the advertising revenue, others do it because they are requested, for example, by an operator who needs it on all their phones ”says an Android developer who conducted the investigation on Reddit. According to Digital Turbine, it’s amazing that its software was used to install apps from ads. The firm ensures that its tool must obtain the user’s agreement in this specific case. Digital Turbine specifies that its solutions are approved by Google Play. The company is expected to issue an official statement soon.

Source: Android Police