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Google definitely forbids self-updating apps on Google Play. But I'm not sure how well this is enforced.

by Nutomic 10y ago

marak830 10y ago
Horribly. I get a few games from the Japanese market, and almost each one requires in immediate internal download and update. Although those updates never trigger the Android update service, so I'm not sure if they are just downloading more resources of if they are able to request new permissions(I would like to assume not.)
- irontoby 10y ago
  Games updating DLC is nothing new and is not what this is about. Google did recently change the Android permission model; previously, apps had to request all their permissions at install time and it was all-or-nothing (and frankly, hardly anyone bothered to look them over.) Now, certain permissions have to be requested when they're needed (at least for recent versions of the SDK) and the user can choose to allow or deny. But an app can't grant itself new permissions without going through the official update process.
  - marak830 10y ago
    See I do trust that - but only to an extent. I always wonder when seeing one update, if there is a 0 day that can bypass that. On a technical level I know I run the same risk with my PC, but at the same time, it's more difficult for me to examine processes and startups in my android.
    - lmm 10y ago
      Realistically, if they've written their own native code that parses their updates then almost certainly. If they're using an established library then maybe not (likewise if they're using a decent language, but unfortunately no-one does that). I'm reminded of the example at the bottom of http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/194772/dirty_game_development_tricks.php http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/194772/dirty_game_deve... where the game had a buffer overflow in displaying its own EULA.
- runholm 10y ago
  The internal download and update is allowed when it consists of media resources and such which is not native executed code.

Google definitely forbids self-updating apps on Google Play. But I'm not sure how well this is enforced.

by Nutomic 10y ago

Google definitely forbids self-updating apps on Google Play. But I'm not sure how well this is enforced.

Horribly. I get a few games from the Japanese market, and almost each one requires in immediate internal download and update. Although those updates never trigger the Android update service, so I'm not sure if they are just downloading more resources of if they are able to request new permissions(I would like to assume not.)

irontoby 10y ago
Games updating DLC is nothing new and is not what this is about. Google did recently change the Android permission model; previously, apps had to request all their permissions at install time and it was all-or-nothing (and frankly, hardly anyone bothered to look them over.) Now, certain permissions have to be requested when they're needed (at least for recent versions of the SDK) and the user can choose to allow or deny. But an app can't grant itself new permissions without going through the official update process.
- marak830 10y ago
  See I do trust that - but only to an extent. I always wonder when seeing one update, if there is a 0 day that can bypass that. On a technical level I know I run the same risk with my PC, but at the same time, it's more difficult for me to examine processes and startups in my android.
  - lmm 10y ago
    Realistically, if they've written their own native code that parses their updates then almost certainly. If they're using an established library then maybe not (likewise if they're using a decent language, but unfortunately no-one does that). I'm reminded of the example at the bottom of http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/194772/dirty_game_development_tricks.php http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/194772/dirty_game_deve... where the game had a buffer overflow in displaying its own EULA.
runholm 10y ago
The internal download and update is allowed when it consists of media resources and such which is not native executed code.