Re:Android Income Report
by jonoberheide on Monday May 14, 2012 @11:27AM
(#3971446)
FYI, it is possible for unprivileged apps to invoke the INSTALL_ASSET functionality themselves. One such example described here:
http://blog.duosecurity.com/2011/05/when-angry-birds-attack-...
Another variation of that attack is still unpatched, allowing any app to invoke INSTALL_ASSET. Certainly that's not intended functionality and is a bug that will be (eventually) patched, but I wouldn't classify it as FUD.
Re:Android Income Report
by gurkendoktor on Tuesday May 15, 2012 @01:13PM
(#3977537)
That is indeed a little scary. Thanks!
Re:Android Income Report
by androidoka on Sunday May 13, 2012 @05:21PM
(#3968372)
True. INSTALL_PACKAGES is a permission with protectionLevel=signatureOrSystem. All other applications can do is take the user to an install-Activity hosted by the OS.
For my intention for installing SellAring, please see my answer above.
No offense, but you're spreading some pretty false FUD. Unrevoked uses multiple exploits and requires a lot of user interaction and a computer to initiate the process.
Further that last link basically describes how Play remote installs applications and is all under the assumption that someone has somehow MITM the SSL connection, something I'm presuming is not at all easily done. (Further it's going on two years old, I wouldn't be shocked if Google is now signing their INSTALL_ASSET messages, Play has changed a LOT in the last two years).
Apps are sandboxed overall similarly in iOS, WinRT, Android, WP7. Uninstalling them, uninstalls them. It even removes all data attached assuming the dev doesn't manually put data on the SD card instead of using the API to store data on the SD card.