User Data, Including Full Bitcoin Wallet Access, Retrievable From Secondhand Android Phones
In a new study by Cambridge University, user data is routinely retrievable from secondhand Android devices that have been wiped through a factory reset. Most Android devices offer no way of easily deleting user data such as access tokens, messages, images, and other content. The problem doesn’t affect only a small percentage of Android users, it affects an estimated 500 million Android devices, this poses a problem for companies that resell used Android devices. In addition to the 500 million affected devices, up to 630 million people do not properly wipe multimedia files in their devices....
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If you access your Bitcoin wallet through certain Android mobile devices, you might want to read these views shared by cryptocurrency industry insiders. A startup developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says that it has identified several models of Android mobile devices that contained firmware, which collected sensitive personal data about their users and transmitted this sensitive data to third-party servers without disclosure or the user's consent. Kryptowire says these devices, which were available through major....
The Blockchain.info website can be used as a mobile wallet thanks to its Android app. Blockchain.info is best known as Bitcoin's block chain explorer, but it also has a wallet feature where you can send and receive bitcoins. With the Android app, you can access all this while you're on the move. The app opens up asking you either to create a new account or to pair with your existing wallet. Registering on the website is better as there are a few pieces of data to keep a record of. Pairing with the website involves opening your account details on the blockchain.info website, and clicking on....
Mycelium has recently come out with a feature for their Android wallets called Local Trader, which allows people to buy and sell bitcoins locally, in person, with cash. Initially, the trades were limited to sell ads, meaning people willing to sell bitcoins could put up an ad, and those wishing to buy bitcoins could contact them and set up a time to meet and trade. The option to set up a buy ad, which would allow locals to convert their bitcoins back to cash, was delayed, since Mycelium wanted to first focus on helping those new to Bitcoin to have an easy way to get their first bitcoins.....
Recently, leading Bitcoin hardware wallet manufacturer, Ledger, introduced Bitcoin wallet technology which directly stores user data and sensitive information in the TrustZone. Secure CPU. The wallet interface, developed by Ledger, allows users to load its bitcoin wallet into the secure chip as the TrustZone chip begins the process of generating HD private keys. Like any secure hard wallets, the keys never leave the TrustZone chip, eliminating the possibility of a data breach or a hacking attack. ARM processors are 32-bit microprocessors that have been developed by Advanced RISC Machines,....
A Canadian programmer has published what he claims is a vulnerability in Coinbase's Android apps, one that could allow an attacker to gain full access to a user's account. Software Engineer Bryan Stern went so far as to caution users not to use the Coinbase Bitcoin Wallet and Merchant apps for Android until the problem is fixed, and advised them to check their accounts for suspicious activity. However, the company has since responded to Stern in a reddit thread stating that the vulnerabilities were not as serious as Stern claims. Stern, who works on Android development at Hootsuite, said....