FBI admits to using Carrier IQ

[no1_vern]

FBI says Carrier IQ files used for "law enforcement purposes" - Boing Boing

The FBI disclosed this weekend that data gathered by Carrier IQ software is used by it for "law enforcement purposes", but refused to give details of how it has done so.

Responding to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Muckrock, the FBI said that it held relevant records but that their release could interfere with pending or prospective law enforcement proceedings.

Yep! The FBI is spying on criminals' smart phones! Well, almost everyones' smart phone(142+ Million at last count), but assuredly a few of them are actually criminals. Right?

[Interrupt]

I'd like some of that data... no just kidding. I could care less what someone is saying on a text or what pr0n videos they're looking out while their wives and daughters are outside the room.

I guess the FBI wants to be more like the NSA, next they'll be striking up deals with our phone companies trying to rent out a room in their office for monitoring purposes and relaying data just like the NSA. Sad though that the FBI's only method is through a shady thing such as Carrier IQ. Trampling on rights? Ok. But using something which is just morally grey up to begin with - CIQ - to do it? It's sad but funny. I've always thought people downplayed corporate espionage but now it seems that the government is utilizing such technologies as well. Hats off to the corporate world.

But seriously, I'd pay good money to see someone/some group exploit the pre-existing Carrier IQ metric collection/analytics software embedded on many phones (whose manufacturers struck a deal with Carrier IQ), and gain access to such data. See that's what the real problem here is, not what marketing companies do with the information but how the application on the mobile handset side can be exploited by unintended parties.

Imagine that. Walk into a bar and some guy on his laptop, wifi ready, picks you up on a wardrive and steals valuable information about your cell phone usage using such an exploit.

Anyone on the forum study the CIQ platform in depth? I'm curious to know how this works. White papers - although I'm sure they are kept under close guard - would be very interesting to examine from a security standpoint. If anyone has more in depth technical knowledge of this stand up!

I truly do think that this form of exploitation is problematic.

Some further details I came across: Carrier IQ gives a lengthy look into how it works | Android Central
Technical Details & Limitations: http://www.carrieriq.com/PR.20111212.pdf

Edit: I may install the after-market variation to test it. As long as I can really remove it properly that is. Still I want to know if outside parties can exploit it to access the same data a MSIP can remotely... entirely for a computer sec. knowledge, not to abuse.