Most smartphone apps have ‘backdoor secrets’ for hackers: Researchers

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered that a large number of mobile phone applications contain hardcoded ‘backdoor secrets’ allowing hackers to access private data or block content provided by users.
“The study’s findings: that the apps on mobile phones might have hidden or harmful behaviours about which end users know little to nothing,” said study author Zhiqiang Lin from the Ohio State University in the US.
“Typically, mobile apps engage with users by processing and responding to user input. For instance, users often need to type certain words or sentences or click buttons and slide screens. Those inputs prompt an app to perform different actions,” Lin added.