Can any spy virus be installed theoretically in the official firmware of a Chinese smartphone "from the factory"?

Question

Android

This refers to the deliberate installation of such software. Firmware vulnerabilities do not count.
the smartphone, in fact, "officially" works on android, with google services

Answer 1

Yes.
They already exist, but so far only advertising ones, such as displaying targeted spam in their own "Gallery" (hello, Khlaomshchik).
The virus with Chinese (in a bad sense) phones has been going on for a long time, there were a lot of scandals with Chinese phones from no-name offices. But there, as far as I know, the case was also limited to targeted spam, however, it was completely overgrown.

Answer 2

In theory, they can put anything in there, but the same goes for other manufacturers. For example, recently the news was this:
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/lit... A
Lithuanian cybersecurity company discovered that smartphones from Xiaomi can track certain keywords (apparently in messengers) about freedom to Tibet and all sorts of anti-party slogans.
Probably still a virus it can not be called.

Answer 3

Maybe.
And not even theoretically at all, for a long time already practically. It is difficult to call it a full-fledged spy, rather an agent for the all-China Big Brother system.

Answer 4

Yes, there was an article on Habré this week that even push-button phones already come with all sorts of interesting software, let alone smartphones. Look for

Answer 5

Even as I had a Chinese blackview phone in its firmware there was a virus AdupsFota.apk to remove it without rooting it is impossible to hear that many phones with aliexpress have a virus in the firmware China is a regime country where the state itself encourages surveillance and control of citizens And since then I have been trying avoid chinese technology prefer european and american technology no media libraries just snapdragon on pure android