Huawei: An error in the AppGallery that allows you to download paid Android apps for free

A flaw has been found in Huawei’s app store, AppGallery. This allows users of the brand’s smartphones to download paid Android apps for free.

Since May 2019, Huawei has been barred from cooperating with US companies, subject to US sanctions. Therefore, not all branded phones released by 5G modem from US founders like Qualcomm or Google applications and services will benefit.

To overcome this huge shortage, the Chinese manufacturer has developed several solutions such as HarmonyOS to replace Android, Huawei mobile services to replace Google’s apps and services, and AppGallery to replace Google’s Play Store.

But the brand’s App Store is not perfect, as evidenced by the error found Dylan RussellAn Android developer, which allows owners of Huawei devices Download the paid Android app for free.

Easy bug for users but annoying for developers

The developer on its site explains that this error occurred because the AppGallery API did not provide security for paid applications. And with some technical knowledge and manipulations, you can Easily get the APK link of the paid app and download it to your device without paying a single dollar.

Dylan Roussel himself was able to get many normal payment applications for free on his smartphone. He points out that this error is not caused by the developers not allowing license verifications in their applications, but that Huawei is the one fixing this problem.

If users do not have to pay for a paid app, the consequences for developers are very negative. In fact, with the loss of revenue, developers are vulnerable to cyber attacks. Hackers can use this API to download a large number of paid applications without having to go through the AppGallery.

The defect will be corrected on May 25

Dylan Roussel says he discovered the flaw last February and gave Hawaii five weeks to fix it. But that time has passed and the problem persists.

Nevertheless, as soon as the developer’s article was published, the Chinese manufacturer contacted him and apologized for the poor communication and delayed response. Huawei has also announced a new deadline to fix a flaw in its app store. This defect Everyone has to fix it by May 25th.