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Android-based gaming devices have struggled to take off due to Google's steep cut on app sales, forcing manufacturers to price themselves out of the market to make a profit.
Palantir Technologies and Trail of Bits conducted an analysis revealing that Google Pixel devices have a dormant application, Showcase.apk, which could be exploited for cyberattacks and malware distribution. This app has excessive system privileges, allowing remote code execution and arbitrary package installation. It downloads a configuration file over an unsecure connection, making it vulnerable to manipulation. The Verizon Retail Demo Mode app, which has been in circulation since August 2016, also poses risks due to its extensive permissions and use of unencrypted HTTP for configuration file downloads. Although no active exploits have been reported, the app raises concerns about adversary-in-the-middle attacks. Users are advised to take protective measures, but the app is not enabled by default and cannot be uninstalled. Google confirmed that the app will be removed from supported Pixel devices through a software update, and it is not present on the Pixel 9 series.
A portion of Google's Pixel devices, in circulation since September 2017, contains a dormant software component that can facilitate malicious attacks, identified as the Android application "Showcase.apk." This app has extensive system privileges, allowing remote code execution and arbitrary package installation. It retrieves its configuration file via an unsecured HTTP connection from a U.S.-based, AWS-hosted domain, exposing devices to potential exploitation. The app, known as Verizon Retail Demo Mode, requires nearly three dozen permissions and has been present since August 2016. Although it operates with elevated privileges, it does not authenticate the domain for its configuration file and has insecure default variable initialization during verification processes. While the app is not activated by default and is not inherently malicious, it remains unremovable by users as it is part of the firmware image. Google clarified that this issue pertains to a package developed for Verizon's demo devices and plans to remove it from supported Pixel devices in an upcoming update. There is currently no evidence of active exploitation, but physical access to a device with developer mode enabled could allow for vulnerability exploitation.
A security firm, iVerify, discovered a hidden feature in Google’s software for certain Android devices that could allow for remote control or surveillance. This feature, designed for retail employees to access devices like Pixel phones, led Palantir Technologies to stop distributing Android phones to its employees due to security concerns. Palantir's Chief Information Security Officer, Dane Stuckey, expressed worries about unvetted software in sensitive environments. iVerify contacted Google over 90 days ago, and Google announced plans to remove the problematic application, Showcase.apk, from Pixel devices. The application can be activated and may expose devices to man-in-the-middle attacks, allowing cybercriminals to inject harmful code. Despite no reported hacks through Showcase, concerns remain about its presence on Pixel phones, which are expected to have higher security standards. The application was developed by Smith Micro Software, which was not reachable for comment.
Google and iVerify are in conflict over the security implications of an application called "Showcase.apk," found on many Android Pixel devices since September 2017. iVerify claims that this app, which operates at the system level, makes these devices vulnerable to man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. The app was discovered on a Palantir employee's device, leading Palantir to confirm that it compromises security and announce plans to phase out Android devices. Google disputes iVerify's claims, stating that the app is not a vulnerability of the Android platform but was developed by Smith Micro for Verizon's in-store demonstrations. Google plans to remove the app from supported Pixel devices and asserts that exploiting it requires physical access and the user's password. Verizon confirmed that the demo capability of the app is no longer used. iVerify's co-founder criticized Google's distribution of the app and expressed concerns about the inability to remove it, labeling it an Android vulnerability. iVerify warns that this situation creates an "untrusted ecosystem" for corporate security, as millions of Android devices are used in workplaces. Researchers speculate that cybercriminals could exploit vulnerabilities in the app's infrastructure.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added Android Pixel, Microsoft Windows, and Progress Telerik Report Server vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
