The Cyber cell of Meerut police has revealed a shocking breach of security administered by the Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Vivo. The Meerut police revealed that more than 13000 mobile phones manufactured by Vivo are running on a single IMEI number. An FIR has been registered against the Vivo communications and its service centres. This has been considered as a huge lapse in security on the part of the company.
As per reports, sub-inspector Asharam, who is posted in the office of Additional Director General of Police, Meerut, owns a Vivo mobile phone. When the screen of the mobile broke, he submitted it for repair at the Vivo service centre on Delhi road in Meerut on 24 September 2019. The service centre gave him his mobile phone back after changing the battery, screen, and the FM. A few days later an error started appearing on the display. As the phone was not working properly despite being serviced, he suspected foul play, and gave the phone to cyber cell, which later exposed the huge security issue.
Investigation launched
ADG Prashant Kumar directed the investigation to Cybercrime cell-in charge of Meerut zone police, Prabal Kumar Pankaj and cyber expert Vijay Kumar. The investigation found that the IMEI number written on the SI’s mobile is different from the actual IMEI number present in the mobile. On January 16, the manager of the service centre replied that IMEI has not changed. Since the mobile had sim of Jio company, the Cyber cell sent the said IMEI to the telecom company and asked for the data. The report came that made an explosive revelation that on 24 September 2019 from 11 am to 11:30 am, the same IMEI number was running on 13557 mobile phones in the different states of the country.
Violations of TRAI rules
The cyber cell sent a notice to Harmanjit Singh, the nodal officer of Vivo India under Section 91 of the Criminal Procedure Code. However, the Police were not satisfied with the response to the notice. The officials of the company were even unaware that according to the rules of TRAI an IMEI should not be active on more than one mobile number. The cyber cell has admitted that the mobile phone manufacturer is grossly negligent in this matter and violated the rules of TRAI.
