this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/36145028

A nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing human rights in digital spaces across West Asia and North Africa — is warning that Israeli-linked software secretly embedded in Samsung phones across the MENA region poses a serious surveillance threat.

According to SMEX, Samsung’s A and M series devices either come preloaded with the app “Aura” or install it automatically through system updates, without the user’s consent. The application reportedly collects a wide range of personal and device-specific data, including IP addresses, device fingerprints, hardware details, and network information.

​​In 2022, Samsung MENA partnered with Israeli tech company IronSource, integrating its Aura software into Galaxy A and M series phones across the region. The partnership was publicly marketed as a way to “enhance user experience” with AI-powered apps and content suggestions.

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[–] Grumpyleb@lemmus.org 49 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Fuck you Samsung, and Fuck the IOF. sincerely MENA

[–] callouscomic@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

At this point in the world, just fuck literally everyone and everything.

[–] Grumpyleb@lemmus.org 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I have a friend who always used to call me a nihilist because of my attitude and to some extent that was true, lately I've been feeling more like an anarchist.

[–] FalseTautology@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The next stage is accelerationist, hope to see you there soon

[–] Grumpyleb@lemmus.org 1 points 1 month ago

Yep, Hence the mad rush to AI everything. The Third World isn't a bad place to be when mass corporate layoffs begin.

[–] UltraBlack@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

I think this is a good start

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 34 points 1 month ago

There are reports of people noticing it two years ago.

[–] Spes@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I don’t think cell phone batteries can be wired to explode, but I am not an electrical engineer.

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 month ago

Wired? Certainly.

Doing it without extra wiring is probably possible too. You'd have to override the battery charge controller, which is probably not available to an app, if to Android at all. But I'd be unsurprised if there was some exploit that made it possible.

[–] teft@piefed.social 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I'm not an electrical engineer but I did work with explosives a little in the army. You'd only need a small amount of high explosive to do some serious damage to someone if their phone was in their pocket and that explosive went off. Modern phones have plenty of empty spaces to stuff full of enough explosives to do lots of damage. It'd be a lot easier to detect then just making the Li-ion batteries ignite but who can say what the IDF can smuggle into the supply chain.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

They would likely be detected by modern airport security if they put in actual explosives.

All battery powered devices go through the scanner separately.

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The israeli pager/walkie-talkie attack's tampered equipments (filled with explosives) completely bypassed airport security...

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Actually that is true. So you are right they probably could easily rig phones.

[–] teft@piefed.social 2 points 1 month ago

Yes, i mentioned in my comment how they’d be easier to detect.

[–] Harvey656@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

No but I bet they could be used do melt the device, imagine if all of a sudden nobody had phones, chaos.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 7 points 1 month ago

Samsungs Ai obsession seems way more aggressive than the pixels

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago

Can we introduce them to Meshtastic?