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New Software Makes It Easy for Chinese Police to Extract Phone Data
CHINA, JUL 16 – Massistant malware enables Chinese authorities to extract data from seized phones without warrants, affecting residents and travelers amid expanded legal powers, researcher Lookout warns.
- On July 16, Lookout, a cybersecurity firm specializing in mobile devices, released a report exposing the use of a tool named Massistant by Chinese law enforcement to extract information from seized smartphones.
- The software was created by a Chinese technology company that faced U.S. government restrictions in 2021 due to its involvement in providing technology to Chinese state authorities.
- Massistant works by installing malware on unlocked Android phones, allowing authorities with physical access to retrieve messages, images, locations, and audio recordings.
- Kristina Balaam, a Lookout researcher, warned travelers that devices brought into the region could be confiscated and accessed, urging awareness of this widespread spyware ecosystem.
- Beginning in 2024, Chinese state security officials have been legally authorized to inspect electronic devices without a warrant, and the deployment of Massistant highlights heightened digital privacy risks for travelers in the region.
15 Articles
15 Articles
TechCrunch
New Movies & TV Shows, Trailers & ReviewsChinese authorities are using a new tool to hack seized phones and extract data
Researchers warned that Chinese residents, and visitors to China, should be aware of the tool's existence and the risks it poses.
China's Massistant Tool Secretly Extracts SMS, GPS Data, And Images From Confiscated Phones - Cybernoz - Cybersecurity News
Jul 18, 2025Ravie LakshmananSurveillance / Mobile Security Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a mobile forensics tool called Massistant that’s used by law enforcement authorities in China to gather information from seized mobile devices. The hacking tool, believed to be a successor of MFSocket, is developed by a Chinese company named SDIC Intelligence Xiamen Information Co., Ltd., which was formerly known as Meiya Pico. It specializ…
China's Massistant Tool Secretly Extracts SMS, GPS Data, and Images From Confiscated Phones
Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a mobile forensics tool called Massistant that's used by law enforcement authorities in China to gather information from seized mobile devices. The hacking tool, believed to be a successor of MFSocket, is developed by a Chinese company named SDIC Intelligence Xiamen Information Co., Ltd., which was formerly known as Meiya Pico. It specializes in the
New Mobile Phone Forensics Tool - Schneier on Security
The Chinese have a new tool called Massistant. Massistant is the presumed successor to Chinese forensics tool, “MFSocket”, reported in 2019 and attributed to publicly traded cybersecurity company, Meiya Pico. The forensics tool works in tandem with a corresponding desktop software. Massistant gains access to device GPS location data, SMS messages, images, audio, contacts and phone services. Meiya Pico maintains partnerships with domestic and in…
Chinese Authorities Deploy New Tool to Hack Seized Phones and Extract Data
Security researchers warn that Chinese authorities are employing a new type of malware called Massistant to extract extensive data from confiscated phones. This includes access to text messages, chats from encrypted apps like Signal, images, location history, audio recordings, contacts, and more. Developed by Chinese tech firm Xiamen Meiya Pico, Massistant is Android-based forensic software designed to extract data from phones physically seized …
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