{"id":754,"date":"2013-01-24T11:44:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-24T16:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=754"},"modified":"2013-01-24T11:44:00","modified_gmt":"2013-01-24T16:44:00","slug":"answer-line-creepy-permissions-for-android-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/01\/24\/answer-line-creepy-permissions-for-android-apps\/","title":{"rendered":"Answer Line: Creepy permissions for Android apps"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As protection against malware, adware, and just plain arrogant software that thinks it owns your phone, Android requires apps to announce what they may access and change. For instance, an app must tell you if it might access your contacts or track your location. The app provides this information at installation, when a list of so-called permissions pops up before you make the final install-or-not-install decision.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But installing an Android app is an all-or-nothing choice. If you object to what an app wants to do, and you’re not willing to root your phone, your only other option is to not install the app.
\nApps often ask for permissions that, on the face of it, they shouldn’t really need. For instance, I have a rhyming dictionary called B-Rhymes, that I couldn’t install without giving it permission to check my location. Why? To find rhymes for the cities I visit?
\nYes, I know (or at least assume) the real reason: So it can target advertising to match my physical location.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

To make matters worse, Apps can add permissions after you install them. You’ve probably noticed that some apps require a manual update. When you update an app manually, examine the screen carefully for a new Permissions section.
\nWant to check what you’ve allowed your existing apps to do? Depending on your version of Android, tap Menu>Settings>Applications>Manage applications or Menu>Settings>Apps. Tap an app and scroll down to the Permissions section.update. When you update an app manually, examine the screen carefully for a new Permissions section.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On the other hand, you may prefer to look up a permission and see what apps have it. For that you’ll need the free Permission Explorer app, which, you’ll be glad to discover, “requires no special permissions to run.”
\nIf you’re truly determined to keep an app but deny it some of its permissions, you’ll have to root your phone, then use an app like Permissions Denied. But that’s a dangerous process and not one to do lightly.
\nvia Answer Line: Creepy permissions for Android apps | PCWorld<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As protection against malware, adware, and just plain arrogant software that thinks it owns your phone, Android requires apps to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7,9,10],"tags":[65,90,950],"class_list":["post-754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-security","category-software","category-technology","tag-android","tag-apps","tag-security-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-ca","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3049,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/07\/29\/android-4-3-hides-support-for-4k-displays-and-granular-permissions-options\/","url_meta":{"origin":754,"position":0},"title":"Android 4.3 hides support for 4K displays and granular permissions options","author":"NCCT","date":"July 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"We already knew Android 4.3 focused on under-the-hood improvements, but it appears there are at least a couple more hidden features than Google let on. The permissions list for the Bump app, as seen through App Ops. (Click to enlarge.) As Android Police first discovered, Android 4.3 includes a hidden\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hardware"","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8714,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/11\/05\/newly-discovered-adware-digs-its-claws-deep-into-android-is-nearly-impossible-to-remove\/","url_meta":{"origin":754,"position":1},"title":"Newly discovered adware digs its claws deep into Android, is nearly impossible to remove","author":"NCCT","date":"November 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Security researchers found over 20,000 adware samples hiding in apps that masquerade as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and other popular services. Derek Walter | @derekwalter | PCWorld Security researchers have uncovered a new style of Android malware that hides inside of apps that act and look like they\u2019re legitimate services. Lookout\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Security"","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8976,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2016\/07\/15\/this-android-trojan-blocks-victims-from-alerting-banks\/","url_meta":{"origin":754,"position":2},"title":"This Android Trojan blocks victims from alerting banks","author":"NCCT","date":"July 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"By Michael Kan | PCWorld A new Trojan that can steal your payment data will also try to stymie you from alerting your bank. Security vendor Symantec has noticed a \u201ccall-barring\u201d function within newer versions of the Android.Fakebank.B malware family. By including this function, a hacker can delay the user\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Security"","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6309,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/08\/26\/android-attack-improves-timing-allows-data-theft\/","url_meta":{"origin":754,"position":3},"title":"Android attack improves timing, allows data theft","author":"NCCT","date":"August 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A malicious application could enable the theft of login credentials, sensitive images, and other data from Android smartphones by making use of a newly discovered information-leakage weakness in the operating system, according to a team of researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of California at Riverside. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hardware"","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3197,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/08\/19\/malware-hijacks-mobile-ad-networks-to-siphon-money\/","url_meta":{"origin":754,"position":4},"title":"Malware hijacks mobile ad networks to siphon money","author":"NCCT","date":"August 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Asian cybercriminals have figured out an unusual way to use the architecture of a mobile ad network to siphon money from their victims. The new method represents another step in the evolution of mobile malware, which is booming with more smartphones shipping than PCs. Mobile ad networks open up the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Security"","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6833,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/11\/12\/ios-security-hole-allows-attackers-to-poison-already-installed-iphone-apps\/","url_meta":{"origin":754,"position":5},"title":"iOS security hole allows attackers to poison already installed iPhone apps","author":"NCCT","date":"November 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Security researchers have warned of a security hole in Apple's iOS devices that could allow attackers to replace legitimate apps with booby-trapped ones, an exploit that could expose passwords, e-mails, or other sensitive user data. The \"Masque\" attack, as described by researchers from security firm FireEye, relies on enterprise provisioning\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/masque-attack-example-640x613.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/masque-attack-example-640x613.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/masque-attack-example-640x613.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}