BLU fixes security issue that affected 120K of its phones

Miami-based smartphone manufacturer BLU has confirmed that around 120,000 of its phones were affected by a security breach. The issue - caused by a 3rd party application which had been collecting unauthorized personal data - has been fixed, the company says.

Discovered by security firm Kryptowire, the issue was with the "Wireless Update" application - it's a third-party app (developed by a Chinese company) that BLU used to deliver over-the-air (OTA) updates to its handsets.

Specifically, the app was found to be harvesting users' personal data such as text messages, call logs, and contacts, and sending it to a server in China.

"The affected application has since been self-updated and the functionality verified to be no longer collecting or sending this information," BLU said in a statement on its website.

To check if your BLU device is affected by this issue, head to Settings -> Apps -> Show System -> Wireless Update. If the app's version if from 5.0.x to 5.3.x, then you need to immediately contact the company.

Source | Via