Sony Xperia Z3 Possible Baidu spyware

[erasat]

As you may already know there is a spyware linked to the my Xperia App that seems to be affected a lot of Xperia Z3 users (Maybe all of us). It's creating a baidu folder and it seems that no matter what you do is coming back, worst, it's sending info to a server in China.

There is currently another thread in the Z3 Compact Forum over XDA, but I'm posting this here for all of us that never goes over there , http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-c...5#post56366715.

I've been following the instructions over there but as you will see, it's not working as expected for me, it's even mentioned that it may be linked to ES File Explorer (I do have that installed) but I've also removed ES and still doesn't work.

Please check your Z3s and see if you have the baidu folder, if you do, you're also infected. Let see if we can filter who has it, firmware versions and region and if following the instructions you are able to remove it, if you do, please post exact process you did.

 

[matt3166]

Re: Baidu spyware

I have it. When you say xperia app do you mean the xperia lounge app?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[erasat]

Re: Baidu spyware

No, there is an app that you can see if you go to Settings-Apps-All it's called my Xperia.

There are some users on other forums just underestimating the possible thread of this because the lack of information about it, but like I'v said there, most of us have been replacing in most situations our Computers with our smartphones, so we do all our online financial stuff on our phones, plus with apps like LastPass (I have it) that store all my passwords on it, it's not a scary situation knowing that this spyware maybe sending our information overseas.

 

[erasat]

Re: Baidu spyware

I got it working now, and feel a little more relief now. For those of you who already have the my Xperia app activated as Device Administrator (Security settings) you need to deactivate it first and then you must do the following:

(Thanks to backslashHH over reddit)

No root necessary.

1-) If you activated my Xperia as Device Administrator just go to Device Administrators in Security Settings and deactivate.

2-) Open an ADB connection to the phone (No need to be root, if you don't know how to do this, just look for ADB on Google).

3-) Type the following commands:

adb shell
pm block com.sonymobile.mx.android
exit

4-) Clean the data of the MyXperia App
5-) Reboot
6-) Delete the "baidu" folder manually
7-) Reboot

You should be good to go, if by any chance you would like to unblock the app, just do the same but replace the pm block com.sonymobile.mx.android, with pm unblock com.sonymobile.mx.android.

**BTW and while you are at this, for those of you who wants to block the annoying WhatsNew from the Quick Access when swiping up from the Home icon, use the following:

(Thanks to ikon8 over XDA)

adb shell
pm block com.sonymobile.advancedwidget.entrance
exit
adb reboot


If you want to also remove the Mini Apps ( I love them, but for those of you who hate them):

Make sure to reboot before proceeding if you're removing both items.

adb shell
pm block com.sony.smallapp.launcher
pm block com.sony.smallapp.app.widget
exit
adb reboot

 

[rews]

I'm really pissed about this. It's come out that the reason for this is because Sony uses servers based in China for this feature because the cheapest servers in Asia are in China. So I'm betting that Samsung, LG, HTC, and now Motorola probably do it as well for their internet connected proprietary software.

So all of the top android handset makers are all now Asian which strikes me as ironic when android is an American Google product. China aggressively and with official government sanction hacks user data from North American users. If this is what the smartphone landscape is going to be like now, I'll be shortlisting all my future smart phones to 4: Nexus, iPhone, Lumia, and Blackberry.

 

[CKwik240]

Could be much ado about nothing. Could be real bad too. But I actually just checked my nexus 7 and out also has the same folder. Nothing appears in it though. While I'm going to keep an eye on this issue, I'm not sure there is anything conclusive as of yet and may not warrant overreaction.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(5630457)]

I don't see a Baidu folder in my Z3v.

Maybe the Verizon devices aren't affected?

 

[chocolateyum]

If you delete the myXperia app it comes back?

Just wondering. I saw a weird app on my Z2 with Saudi Arabian letters on it. I can delete it and it stays deleted (unless I do a factory reset). So wondered if that was a spyware of some form.

I bought my phone new off ebay from a supplier in Singapore (and the phone was originally manufactured in Saudi Arabia).

 

[erasat]

I don't see a Baidu folder in my Z3v.

Maybe the Verizon devices aren't affected?

It seems that it's strictly related to my Xperia app and according to what I've found is that baidu is the company/Service in charge of manage the service that if you lose your phone you can connect from anywhere and delete or lock it. It's not clear exactly what information this company is getting from our phones and that's what causes the issue and what people is calling a possible spyware.

Knowing that we already have that with Android by default with the Android Device Manager, then it doesn't make sense and it's obviously safer to just follow the above steps to get rid of it.

BUT, just look to see if you have that App in your phone, My Xperia may have been disabled from Verizon and maybe they just replaced with one of theirs.

If you delete the myXperia app it comes back?

Just wondering. I saw a weird app on my Z2 with Saudi Arabian letters on it. I can delete it and it stays deleted (unless I do a factory reset). So wondered if that was a spyware of some form.

I bought my phone new off ebay from a supplier in Singapore (and the phone was originally manufactured in Saudi Arabia).

The place where you bought it or the Region is not the cause of it, it's the My Xperia app, if you have that enabled in your phone then it may cause what it has been discussed here. BTW, My Xperia can't be removed, just disabled (blocked).