261/68 Monday, July 21, 2025
Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered details about “Massistant,” a mobile forensic analysis tool used by Chinese law enforcement to extract data from confiscated smartphones. Developed by SDIC Intelligence Xiamen Information Co., Ltd.-formerly known as Meiya Pico-the tool reflects the company’s specialization in electronic data forensics and network security technologies. According to a report by Lookout, Massistant works in conjunction with desktop software to extract sensitive information from mobile devices, including GPS locations, SMS messages, photos, audio files, contacts, and call data.
Massistant is typically used in scenarios where officials inspect devices, such as at border crossings. Once connected to a computer, the application requests access permissions from the user, after which it can extract data without further user interaction. If the user attempts to exit the app, a warning message appears, stating that the application is in “data extraction mode” and exiting may cause errors. This message appears only in Chinese and English. The app is designed to self-uninstall upon USB disconnection and can also connect via ADB over Wi-Fi, allowing for file installation and data extraction from external communication apps like Signal and Taiwan-based Letstalk.
While the analysis focuses primarily on Android, images on Lookout’s website show iPhones connected to Massistant hardware, suggesting that an iOS version likely exists. Meiya Pico has also filed patents related to the collection of forensic evidence from both Android and iOS devices, as well as voiceprint classification technology, which claims to uniquely identify individuals. The company was previously sanctioned in 2021 by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) due to its involvement in surveillance activities targeting Uyghur ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
The report further warns that tourists and business travelers visiting China may be subject to mobile device data inspections conducted under the country’s domestic legal processes.
Source https://thehackernews.com/2025/07/chinas-massistant-tool-secretly.html
