Website that allowed Huawei users to 'sidestep' US ban goes offline

A Chinese website LZPay that allowed Huawei Mate 30 series users to install Google apps on their smartphone went offline, Reuters reports. Apparently, it went down after a security researcher reported than an undocumented backdoor, allowing users to install Google's Android apps such as Google Maps on their Huawei Mate 30. Last month, Huawei introduced its Mate 30 series running a customised OS, powered by Android. However, Google's Android apps including Play Store, Google Maps and others do not come pre-installed.

Report has it, a China-based website called LZPay allowed for manual installation of Google’s Android apps on Huawei’s newly launched Mate 30 devices. The website it went offline on Wednesday after a  “backdoor” was reported by a security researcher. This backdoor, if exploited, could sidestep a U.S. ban. Of late, Huawei has been facing a lot of trouble from the US. In mid-May, the US decided to cut ties with the Chinese telecom giant over national security concerns.

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What is LZPay

A few days ago, the link to the website LZPay first appeared on Reddit.

“This GMS (Google Mobile Services) installer is ad-free, well-designed, and ONLY works for Huawei devices,” wrote a user.

A security researcher wrote in a blog post that LZPlay website used an undocumented "backdoor" in Huawei's mobile device management software to install Google Mobile Services (GMS).

“At this point, it is pretty obvious that Huawei is well aware of this LZPlay app, and explicitly allows its existence,” said researcher John Wu. “Although this ‘backdoor’ requires user interaction to be enabled, the installer app, which is signed with a special certificate from Huawei, was granted privileges nowhere to be found on standard Android systems,” he said.

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Google was among the first U.S. companies to suspend its business with Huawei. It's a move that is likely to hamper Huawei's smartphone business outside China.

Meanwhile, Huawei denied any ties with LZPlay.

“Huawei’s latest Mate 30 series is not pre-installed with GMS, and Huawei has had no involvement with www.lzplay.net,” she said.

Huawei launched its Mate 30 phone a couple of weeks ago. It uses an open-source version of Android in light of the US ban. However, they do not come with pre-installed apps like Google Maps. Huawei in May was blacklisted by the Trump administration. The US alleged Huawei is involved in activities that compromise national security. However, Huawei denied allegations against it, made by the Trump administration.

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(With agency inputs)