hi crew,
I couldn't seem to find the answer or a logical breakdown on this topic and so I wanted hear from the folks here at xda. I'm relatively new and just learned about this website last year while I was searching for things to do with my HD2. I used to flash all kinds of stuffs on my phone and really enjoy it. However, I moved on to the Sensation, touchpad, kindle fire, and Dell 7.
except for the touchpad (cm7), I'm keeping everything else stock and unrooted. This year alone there were several incidents with security on android platform .. Skype, malicious apps on market and forums, and I believe there was also ISSues with custom roms for folks in China. I guess my question is .. How easy is it to include a malicious coding into a custom Rom? If a developer/chef can modify just about every aspect of this platform then I'm guessing it won't break much sweat for them to include these spying coding into a custom Rom?
don't get me wrong because I truly believe that 99.999% of developers on this forum is dedicated and passionate about giving us the ultimate user experience. But if you look at the math, it only takes 1 out of every 100,000 and that's enough to create fear in many of us. Is there a way for users (common users) like myself to determine if there is something else coded in a custom Rom? Would it help at all to protect our privacy with an AV?
of course, one answer to my question is to avoid custom Rom! But yet, with the recent news about carrier iq even with stock you are still being monitored. Since I'm not a developer and have very limited knowledge about this area, I just wanted ask the questions here to hear inputs, suggestions, and opinions from more experienced users (and perhaps developers if any). Thanks!
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qdochemistry said:
How easy is it to include a malicious coding into a custom Rom? If a developer/chef can modify just about every aspect of this platform then I'm guessing it won't break much sweat for them to include these spying coding into a custom Rom?
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Click to collapse
Very easy.
qdochemistry said:
Is there a way for users (common users) like myself to determine if there is something else coded in a custom Rom? Would it help at all to protect our privacy with an AV?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends. You could use an antivirus, but they mainly just scan your apps, media, and settings; so if the malicious 'thing' is directly built into the rom, it will not be detected. If it was an app (or in one), then there is a chance it would be detected.
Thanks .. that was indeed my thoughts but since I don't know much about coding or "cooking" and so figured I'd would ask. XDA is a great community but it is a scary thought having to think that our privacy with custom roms is entirely relying on the "honor code" of developers. I have not read about anything isolated incidents with infected ROMs, and much less would something like that happen here at XDA. I hope I am correct with the assumption that ROMs being released here are somehow being cross-checked by someone .. but I guess that would be a great amount of effort as too many ROMs are being released everyday on this site.
Again, there are many reputable developers in this community but just thought that I'd ask since it would only take one to ruin the effort of a million ... if anyone got thoughts or opinions feel free to comment.
Thanks for replying
I think that's a very valid concern. I am using a custom rom right now so this is also my concern.
I hope I am correct with the assumption that ROMs being released here are somehow being cross-checked by someone .. but I guess that would be a great amount of effort as too many ROMs are being released everyday on this site.
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Click to collapse
Well, I don't think there is anyone / any party responsible for checking the released ROMs given that the amount of work required...So what I do is to avoid dealing anything sensitive with the phone (even I was using Stock ROM). All this kind of stuff I will do it with my desktop where I feel I have more control.
lol .. same here .. on devices with ported ROMs I am quite careful as to what I do with it .. and on stock devices i do keep the number of apps to the minimal. But it's just sad being that way .. or may be i'm just paranoid!
Hi all, I just started flashing custom roms and kernels and really enjoying the learning process. XDA and its members have been a huge help and awesome resource. It occurred to that it might be possible for the developer of a custom rom to hide spyware in their rom, is that true?
Also, does it happen or does the community on XDA keep people honest? Like if I flash one of the popular roms like AOKP, PacMan, CM, etc, are there enough people (smarter and better technically equipped than me) who would spot it and out the developer/rom?
I just want to know that what I am doing is reasonably safe in terms of spyware. I know there are other risks with flashing custom roms and kernels, but I haven't read anything about spyware.
Thanks!
The Honor 7 is released in Europe (probably the states as well) now and then I'm wondering if there is higher possibilities for custom roms now? CyanogenMod for eks.
I've searched online, but couldn't find any. And I read here on xda that it was against their rules to link to them. Wondering why...?
Sad nobody could answer this yet. I think it is a bad sing. I heard is something related to the huawei kernels.
For me i would like just how to flash at least chinse rom.
Hope some expert finds a way.
Regards
Okay so nice people, we have a lot of casual people asking this lately which oreo rom is most stable/smooth/status about known bugs. So please if anyone who has recently tried roms or even has knowledge about the status of these oreo rom and the known bugs in them, please share your thoughts. So that these guys can select the one they will like.
Just the small status about Volte,gps,camera,FP,selinux,banking apps,play store certified or not is also greatly apprecited.
Keep virtue signalling aside like it's disrespect to the developer and this and that. Understand that not everyone has the time or use device as a play thing. We enjoy doing this doesn't means everyone has to get their hands dirty. They are just here to upgrade their device.
And you can also share undergoing interesting developments by different devs, because not many are in touch with these projects as not everyone is part of telegram groups.
I would personally like to know which kernel/rom in your opinion has fastest fingerprint sensor. Currently MIUI stock is winning by a large margin IMO.
Hello,greetings to all!
My name is Kostas,i am from Greece and i have a huge love feeling to Android OS.Being on android since 2010 with couple of devices (currently on Xiaomi RN5 whyred) i always remember my self experimenting with customs roms,kernels,apps etc.I have seen maaany roms out there with pretty exciting features,but as a very imaginative person i always have ideas that concern extra features,functions etc for android that i have never seen on phones generally.They concern all categories (notifications,lockscreen,graphics etc) To be honnest,latest years I don't see Something really innovative that could make people want to flash a custom rom cause of it's revolutionary features.Unfortunately cause of 0 knowledge on programming,all my thoughts are on the drawyer.I didnt even presented to some dev.So my thought is to help some dev with my ideas to develop a new revolutionary custom rom (Named perfect OS or something) and then other devs to share it to all android devices!Thanks in advance and i hope for some news soon!!