US Military Apps Contain Chinese, Russian Code

An analysis of hundreds of mobile applications designed for US military personnel has revealed that over 12.5% contain software developed by companies based in China, Russia, or other foreign nations. This discovery has amplified concerns that adversarial governments could potentially access sensitive data, including the locations where service members reside, work, and are deployed. Researchers from Purdue University, the US Military Academy at West Point, and Florida International University conducted the examination.

One widely used application, which allows service members to review living conditions on their military bases, was found to incorporate code from Huawei. Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company, was previously identified by US regulators in 2020 as a national security risk. Additionally, two other applications identified in the study were developed by Russian companies and integrated the Russian advertising service Yandex.

The advertising industry, which largely operates without extensive regulation, tracks Americans online and generally treats both civilians and military personnel similarly. However, there is evidence suggesting that this tracking can inadvertently expose troop deployments, unit movements, and the daily routines of personnel stationed in sensitive locations. These locations include intelligence facilities and hardened shelters where nuclear weapons are believed to be stored, highlighting the potential national security implications of the code found in these apps.