Hello,
I think about rooting my device.
However I also think about how secure the custom roms builds or rooting apps are.
E.g.
In the modaco forum there is a tool called Superboot r2 to root the motorola moto g device.
How can I know/trust that this tool doesn't contain any spyware/malware or other malicous code?
How do you guys look at the security of custom roms and other apps which root your device?
Customizing and rooting one's phone can be done very securely. Even more now than a few years ago. I would be wary about apps that can root your phone with a buttoon press. Unless, of course, there is a really long thread about it on xda. The same with apps not from the Google store. You should run a virus scan on any apks you get in general. They can contain malicious code that can mess up your device and steal your information.
Once you root your device, it's a good idea to look into the XPrivacy app. You can use it to control the individual permissions of all of your installed app. There are a lot of other security measure you can take too. Do research on what would be relevant to your device.
kbntk said:
Hello,
I think about rooting my device.
However I also think about how secure the custom roms builds or rooting apps are.
E.g.
In the modaco forum there is a tool called Superboot r2 to root the motorola moto g device.
How can I know/trust that this tool doesn't contain any spyware/malware or other malicous code?
How do you guys look at the security of custom roms and other apps which root your device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting a device greatly decreased the overall security of the device. You are breaking the basic security design of Android, you are incorporating new code (mods etc) from developers who may not be properly trained, many who jsut copy past code from elsewhere without understanding what exactly is going on. Potentially (almost certainly with most custom roms) introducing new vulnerabilities.
Elzbach said:
Customizing and rooting one's phone can be done very securely. Even more now than a few years ago. I would be wary about apps that can root your phone with a buttoon press. Unless, of course, there is a really long thread about it on xda. The same with apps not from the Google store. You should run a virus scan on any apks you get in general. They can contain malicious code that can mess up your device and steal your information.
Once you root your device, it's a good idea to look into the XPrivacy app. You can use it to control the individual permissions of all of your installed app. There are a lot of other security measure you can take too. Do research on what would be relevant to your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to have to flat out disagree. Once you have rooted your device, security has greatly been decreased. What would be a minor vulnerability in a normal app, can become a huge vulnerability in an application that has been granted permission to use root. Same goes for the Superuser control application.
Thank you for your replies guys.
jcase said:
Rooting a device greatly decreased the overall security of the device. You are breaking the basic security design of Android, you are incorporating new code (mods etc) from developers who may not be properly trained, many who jsut copy past code from elsewhere without understanding what exactly is going on. Potentially (almost certainly with most custom roms) introducing new vulnerabilities.
I'm going to have to flat out disagree. Once you have rooted your device, security has greatly been decreased. What would be a minor vulnerability in a normal app, can become a huge vulnerability in an application that has been granted permission to use root. Same goes for the Superuser control application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree rooding the device decreases the overall secruity of the device.
On the other hand, rooting the device gives access to the apps that give you control over the system and data on it. For example as Elzbach wrote, with the app XPrivacy I can control what apps have access to my personal information.
Now - without root - when I instal a new keyboard or launcher with widgets, I'm warned that these apps can have access to my personal information and can use them malicously. For me that means, that even without root using normal apps I can get big security risk when using some apps from play store.
Do you build the custom android version by yourself from the source or use builds provided on this forum or modaco or use another way?
kbntk said:
Thank you for your replies guys.
I agree rooding the device decreases the overall secruity of the device.
On the other hand, rooting the device gives access to the apps that give you control over the system and data on it. For example as Elzbach wrote, with the app XPrivacy I can control what apps have access to my personal information.
Now - without root - when I instal a new keyboard or launcher with widgets, I'm warned that these apps can have access to my personal information and can use them malicously. For me that means, that even without root using normal apps I can get big security risk when using some apps from play store.
Do you build the custom android version by yourself from the source or use builds provided on this forum or modaco or use another way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
XPrivacy, and apps like them introduce additional security concerns of their own. Android is not designed to work the way they force it too, introducing many new unknowns.
New keyboard, launchers introduce an infinitely smaller risk than any root app, and unlike with root apps you are warned and privileges are handled by an established well tested permission system. Comparing the two is completely silly.
Any developer, in a matter of minutes, put together a root app requesting 0 permissions, that can gain permissions or otherwise use APIs requiring permissions at runtime without declaring them, and disable or work around any "security" any XPrivacy type app claims to provide. Once rooted, apps like XPrivacy provide a complete false sense of security. Given you need root to use them... they provide no real security at all.
A completely valid scenario (one we have seen in the wild): An app with 0 permissions, but the ability to use su could download and dynamically execute new code to perform the malicious activities. IE Google bouncer, and any anti virus software would be @#[email protected] out of luck on that one. All because a user decided to completely break the basic security model, by installing su.
The only customized version of Android I use, is a customized emulator I use for analysis, and that only used when I suspect something could damage an actual test device.
I do not mess with customized versions of Android on real hardware, I only build when testing patches I plan to push to the AOSP gerrit for review.
jcase said:
Rooting a device greatly decreased the overall security of the device. You are breaking the basic security design of Android, you are incorporating new code (mods etc) from developers who may not be properly trained, many who jsut copy past code from elsewhere without understanding what exactly is going on. Potentially (almost certainly with most custom roms) introducing new vulnerabilities.
I'm going to have to flat out disagree. Once you have rooted your device, security has greatly been decreased. What would be a minor vulnerability in a normal app, can become a huge vulnerability in an application that has been granted permission to use root. Same goes for the Superuser control application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jcase said:
XPrivacy, and apps like them introduce additional security concerns of their own. Android is not designed to work the way they force it too, introducing many new unknowns.
New keyboard, launchers introduce an infinitely smaller risk than any root app, and unlike with root apps you are warned and privileges are handled by an established well tested permission system. Comparing the two is completely silly.
Any developer, in a matter of minutes, put together a root app requesting 0 permissions, that can gain permissions or otherwise use APIs requiring permissions at runtime without declaring them, and disable or work around any "security" any XPrivacy type app claims to provide. Once rooted, apps like XPrivacy provide a complete false sense of security. Given you need root to use them... they provide no real security at all.
A completely valid scenario (one we have seen in the wild): An app with 0 permissions, but the ability to use su could download and dynamically execute new code to perform the malicious activities. IE Google bouncer, and any anti virus software would be @#[email protected] out of luck on that one. All because a user decided to completely break the basic security model, by installing su.
The only customized version of Android I use, is a customized emulator I use for analysis, and that only used when I suspect something could damage an actual test device.
I do not mess with customized versions of Android on real hardware, I only build when testing patches I plan to push to the AOSP gerrit for review.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I stand corrected.
Apologize if I'm resurrecting an oldie but this is a topic I've been contemplating for a while now. I used to root, looking back to my old OG Droid days. But I find newer devices sufficient as to not root anymore (mostly). I'm currently debating rooting a Samsung Tab S 8.4 to remove Touchwiz and hopefully speed some things up and maybe further control the CPU.
If the user is rooted and they only install apps from the marketplace that are known to be safe (I assume)- i.e.- not downloaded from some misc internet site and from "non-trusted sources," would this still be able to happen?
- "Any developer, in a matter of minutes, put together a root app requesting 0 permissions, that can gain permissions or otherwise use APIs requiring permissions at runtime without declaring them, and disable or work around any "security" any XPrivacy type app claims to provide. Once rooted, apps like XPrivacy provide a complete false sense of security. Given you need root to use them... they provide no real security at all."
I guess I'm just not sure how google approved apps, or if they even do. And what's the process of showing app permissions in the Play Store these days, since permissions are front and center when you download an app. Do dev's just flag permissions on their own will or is it built into the Android code? I would ASSUME the android code when posting to Play Store decides permissions for the dev. I would be horrified if Android relied on good will for people to post permissions solely from the dev's input.
I could be completely wrong
But as I understand dev a pick the permissions they need for the app to work correctly. They declare the permissions they need to the Android system. And then they can only use those permissions and no others. However they don't need to use all of the permissions but they can if they want to.
Btw apps from google play are in no way safe.it has no bearing if you do or don't have apps from unknown sources on your device. fact is google in no way checks the source code of apps on the play store.now maybe the run a virus checks but honestly that means nothing as moron could code in malicious code that would not trigger a scanner (and Trojans are far more prevalent for Android than viruses). If the source code is not available then no one knows what an app could be doing.
90% of my apps come from fdroid, who builds everything from source.
In the discussion above I should also note (but could be wrong about this completely) that system apps (the ones that come with your phone) all have root(administrator) permissions by virtue of being system components.
So rooting may decrease your security but personally I think factory roms are far too unsecure to start with and will never have a device that is not rooted. The benefits far out weight the risks for the careful user. Until such time as the source code is released.
Unless you trust google, face book, Samsung, Twitter, and a host of other baked in developers who get to put apps on your phone at the factory.
Or Apple who has their own way of making money off your every move, or microsoft with win 10 that also sells your habits.
jcase said:
Rooting a device greatly decreased the overall security of the device. You are breaking the basic security design of Android, you are incorporating new code (mods etc) from developers who may not be properly trained, many who jsut copy past code from elsewhere without understanding what exactly is going on. Potentially (almost certainly with most custom roms) introducing new vulnerabilities.
I'm going to have to flat out disagree. Once you have rooted your device, security has greatly been decreased. What would be a minor vulnerability in a normal app, can become a huge vulnerability in an application that has been granted permission to use root. Same goes for the Superuser control application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This alone is enough for me to stay away from root and its capability to make things worse in my end. Thank you for the professional input on this.
Without root you can't add any security to Android. Which has very little security to start with. Permissions are vague and can't be denied on a per app basis short of not installing the app.
System apps have no way of being removed without root unless you do it before flashing, and without root you can't do a complete backup of your system.
Even if you don't root a device yourself Trojans can gain root with many of the same exploits, root themselves and cause whatever havoc they desire.
An app only gets root if you allow it even after rooting your device. It will pop up and ask you if you want to allow or deny or always allow or deny. a Trojan that can create root will do can do it regardless if you root your device yourself, I have no idea if such a Trojan tried to get root if supersu, or superuser will pop up and ask.
A firewall requires root and that alone is worth rooting for me.
But then I have very few apps that I allow online.
Can root cause serious damage to your device? Yes
Can you administrator your device without root? No
Every Linux has root capabilities,
if you own it you should be able to administer it to the best of your abilities and to do that you need root.
Custom Roms are updated far more often that oem roms and as such generally have the newest fixes and updates for security.come that to factory roms that may update once or twice in their expected lifetime, regardless of how many security holes are found in the rom.older devices(read older as a synonym for 2 years old) may never get another update and the only way to protect yourself with out a custom Rom is to buy a new device.
For example Android 5.01 has a major memory leak.and even with that and other bugs and security issues Samsung had not updated the north American galaxy s5 (just over a year old,) above 5.01 yet and may not until marshmallow comes out (Which will mean almost a year after the security and memory leak were found). And until then you walk around using a device with major security issues and a major memory leak.
XPrivacy is not about Security. "Security" is never linked to Xprivacy on Github. "XPrivacy can prevent applications from leaking privacy-sensitive data". Saying the opposite is a lie.
Whether you have root access or not you can almost do nothing against serious attacks BUT having root access allows you to control some things like Internet connection, restricted access,...
Finally do not confuse Custom ROMs and Root. You can run a custom rom without root and vice versa. As explained above custom ROMs are more updated so you can enjoy more patches and new security features like SElinux.
Kayak83 said:
Apologize if I'm resurrecting an oldie but this is a topic I've been contemplating for a while now. I used to root, looking back to my old OG Droid days. But I find newer devices sufficient as to not root anymore (mostly). I'm currently debating rooting a Samsung Tab S 8.4 to remove Touchwiz and hopefully speed some things up and maybe further control the CPU.
If the user is rooted and they only install apps from the marketplace that are known to be safe (I assume)- i.e.- not downloaded from some misc internet site and from "non-trusted sources," would this still be able to happen?
- "Any developer, in a matter of minutes, put together a root app requesting 0 permissions, that can gain permissions or otherwise use APIs requiring permissions at runtime without declaring them, and disable or work around any "security" any XPrivacy type app claims to provide. Once rooted, apps like XPrivacy provide a complete false sense of security. Given you need root to use them... they provide no real security at all."
I guess I'm just not sure how google approved apps, or if they even do. And what's the process of showing app permissions in the Play Store these days, since permissions are front and center when you download an app. Do dev's just flag permissions on their own will or is it built into the Android code? I would ASSUME the android code when posting to Play Store decides permissions for the dev. I would be horrified if Android relied on good will for people to post permissions solely from the dev's input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to F-Droid or fossdroid instead of Google Play to avoid crappy apps and unwanted connections. Apps on F-Droid are safer. Google has an automatic system to scan apks when they are uploaded but it doesn't detect everything... Be sure that if you didn't update the version number of your apk you will be blocked though lol
Permissions are stored in the AndroidManifest.xml. If the developer doesn't want to state the permissions he needs then nothing will be shown into the Manifest. That's why it's important to use 3rd party apps to control what apps really do.
Would never use my phone without a firewall installed. I want to have control over what apps can access the net and which cannot.
So rooting is a must for me.
Have no gapps installed and privacy is important to me.
Semseddin said:
This alone is enough for me to stay away from root and its capability to make things worse in my end. Thank you for the professional input on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And you'll be 100% wrong. You are getting a bad advice from someone who sounds like he works for Google. He is wrong and he knows it...
Your system apps have root whether you like it or not. So, they can do whatever Google wants them to do. And they can do it silently. So, the question is are you going to have control over your device or google? Without root you can't; with root you can if you know what you are doing. Your main security threat comes from Gapps and the infamous google services framework, which spies on you and regularly transmits home (google servers) your every activity. That has to go and for that you need root. Custom rom vs stock. Custom roms don't have Gapps and gsf, so that puts them on pedestal, as compared to stock. Stock rom is android plus manufacturer's bloat which also spies on you and wastes battery. Custom roms don't have gapps and they are open source (like Linux). Have you ever heard about viruses on Linux? Maybe 2 or 3, but thousands in other OSs. As another user noted, linux (on which android is based) has root. So is any major OS. Root is just a key to control your device. It can be set up to restrict everything, even system apps, so the point that having root reduces security is invalid except for one situation, when you don't know what you are doing. Do you want incompetent and malicious evil Google to own your phone? If you do, stay away from root.
optimumpro said:
And you'll be 100% wrong. You are getting a bad advice from someone who sounds like he works for Google. He is wrong and he probably knows it...
Your system apps have root whether you like it or not. So, they can do whatever Google wants them to do with your device. And they can do it silently. So, the question is are you going to have control over your device or google? Without root you can't; with root you can if you know what you are doing. Your main security threat comes from Gapps and the infamous google services framework, which spies on you and regularly tramsmits home (google servers) your every activity. That has to go and for that you need root. Custom rom vs stock. Custom roms don't have Gapps and gsf, so that puts them on pedestal, as compared to stock. Stock rom is android plus manufacturer's bloat which also spies on you and wastes battery. Custom roms don't have gapps and they are open source (like Linux). Have you ever heard about viruses on Linux? Maybe 2 or 3, but thousands in other OSs. As another user noted, linux (on which android is based) has root. So is any major OS. Root is just a key to control your device. It can be set up to restrict everything, even system apps, so the point that having root reduces security is invalid except for one situation, when you don't know what you are doing. Do you want incompetent and malicious evil Google to own your phone? If you do, stay away from root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your detailed answer but if i am not mistaken, are you suggesting that a custom rom made by a 3rd party hobbiest developer is more secure than oem's firmware ? If so, i will continue to be mistaken.
Semseddin said:
Thank you for your detailed answer but if i am not mistaken, are you suggesting that a custom rom made by a 3rd party hobbiest developer is more secure than oem's firmware ? If so, i will continue to be mistaken.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the time the answer is yes. Also, you could be a developer yourself meaning you can compile your rom from sources with your own modifications. OEMs have user's security on the back burner. Their goal is to monetize the user and in case of mobile devices, there is no way to monetize the user without compromising security. The beauty of a published source code is that anyone could examine it and they do (even if it is not you yourself). Look at businesses: the majority of them use neither windows nor apple. They use Linux, because linux does not monetize the user and it is open sources and by the way, it is maintained by "hobbiest" developers. And naturally, because of this Linux has a vastly superior security and virtually no viruses.
Google is malicious and incompetent, but luckily, Android is based on linux and most of the code there is from linux.
This is of course a separate from root issue, which remains simply an issue of control: whether you want to be in control of your device or not. You can't name any OS that does not provide root to the user out of the box... Just because some (or most) smart phone dumb users don't know what they are doing does not mean that everyone should be denied root on their devices... And by the way, most Google engineers also don't know what they are doing and had it not been for Linux and the community at large, google wouldn't be able to produce anything that moves...
I wanted to know what is the least time consuming method to analyze applications and check whether they are doing some "extra" data collection not required for their defined activity.
In this day and age, large companies like to collect as much information as they can to "optimize ads" (or future implementation of ads when not in the current version).
For example,
When i install applications that use GPS location for their legitimate activity when they are being used (e.g., gett (get taxi), or any parking fee paying app), i always wonder if when they are not active, they have a background process that sends my location to some collecting server every certain interval (I don't want to open and close the phone gps all the time, i want to leave it on).
Any suggestions ?
if you have root , greenify will stop background processes while app is closed. as far as your real question to analyze what they do ; am not sure.
hopefully someone more knowledgeable can chyme in.:good:
"err on the side of kindness"
thedrs said:
I wanted to know what is the least time consuming method to analyze applications and check whether they are doing some "extra" data collection not required for their defined activity.
In this day and age, large companies like to collect as much information as they can to "optimize ads" (or future implementation of ads when not in the current version).
For example,
When i install applications that use GPS location for their legitimate activity when they are being used (e.g., gett (get taxi), or any parking fee paying app), i always wonder if when they are not active, they have a background process that sends my location to some collecting server every certain interval (I don't want to open and close the phone gps all the time, i want to leave it on).
Any suggestions ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
If you have root, XPrivacy could be a good tool to see what an app try to do by using Android rights, because you will have to validate or not, for each asked right.
Another tool without root is Noroot Firewall, because it would indicate if an app try to send data on the Net and where.
If you have root, Network Log would display where an app send data, and from where it receives data. Idem for Android kernel.
So with that, I think that you could begin to have an idea of what your app is doing.
If others could share their knowledge and experience.
Amusons-nous avant tout !
iwanttoknow said:
Hi,
If you have root, XPrivacy could be a good tool to see what an app try to do by using Android rights, because you will have to validate or not, for each asked right.
Another tool without root is Noroot Firewall, because it would indicate if an app try to send data on the Net and where.
If you have root, Network Log would display where an app send data, and from where it receives data. Idem for Android kernel.
So with that, I think that you could begin to have an idea of what your app is doing.
If others could share their knowledge and experience.
Amusons-nous avant tout !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed. I've used all of these tools. XPrivacy especially, and it's convenient pop-up of asking you permission and revealing the destinations IP if it has to do with the internet.
After reading various private data collection warnings like this https://hadiyarajesh.medium.com/how...m-its-devices-and-how-to-stop-it-7fd42f3841c0
I'm interested to understand if the current Security App 5.3.0-210508.1.2 on my debloated MIUI Global 12.5.1 is still regarded as with bad Privacy? In case I would seek to debloat the App (includes Cleaner, Sec. Scan, Battery, Data usage, Blocklist, Manage apps, Game Turbo, Deep Clean, App lock, Dual apps, Second space, etc.)
Dual apps and Second space would be useful to me (probably alternative Apps usable). Also the other functions, but not sure why such an App needs to collect/share data for Xiaomi?
ChriMo said:
After reading various private data collection warnings like this https://hadiyarajesh.medium.com/how...m-its-devices-and-how-to-stop-it-7fd42f3841c0
I'm interested to understand if the current Security App 5.3.0-210508.1.2 on my debloated MIUI Global 12.5.1 is still regarded as with bad Privacy? In case I would seek to debloat the App (includes Cleaner, Sec. Scan, Battery, Data usage, Blocklist, Manage apps, Game Turbo, Deep Clean, App lock, Dual apps, Second space, etc.)
Dual apps and Second space seem useful to me (probably alternative Apps usable).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root, EdXposed, and XPrivacyLua Xposed module.
If you are suspecting MIUI privacy issue, suspect everything it provided. Take back control of it.
@pl1992aw I usually do not root, Magisk, Xposed etc.
I'm using Blokada (over VPN) which seems to filter out most things because while active, settings change in the Security App have no effect - going online is requested ;-)
So I do not feel totally exposed but would like to understand more about this App data collection and sharing.
Inspect the APK and understand how it works.
Or capture the data that App sends, decode and inspect what it's collecting and sharing.
Both might not be easy.
As of why app collect/share data for Xiaomi, debug, "optimization", "protection" from malwares and blacklist phone numbers, provide "useful" information or apps you might be interested, improve for "community" (st?)... etc.
They can tell you all kinds of legal answers, so it all depends if you accept or not. If you don't accept, you take acts. (as Blokada) [You know when your first time go into the app, it will ask you if you agree for data collection]
Remember when installing APKs, MIUI will check if the APKs contains virus or some suspicious stuff? This is how "antivirus" do like on PC. So as Antiviruses needs to update their database, the app still need to update their database every now and then.
You cannot debloat many of those apps you mentioned without root.
Most of them are system apps, and may cause issues of the system if you managed to debloat them.
They mostly will be turn back on when you reboot, or start in the background itself.
Even with root and even after running my systemrw script and mounting /system as r/w it's very difficult to disable/delete Xiaomi security center and FindDevice and Updater system apps without causing bootloop. If anyone figure out a way please let me know thanks!
Hi team,
I am looking for advice on increasing the device's security after root.
Is there a way to do this effectively?
I've rooted my device (Galaxy S8 exynos processor). Presently the device has had many of the system apps removed, including the Play Store, and most of the Google apps (only drive and Maps remain). Running Android 9 on it.
Open to suggestions!
Thanks all.
Once a device's Android got rooted you and anybody else get complete access to everything in the OS, and those permissions allow you and anybody else to change it all, injecting malware included.
IMO it's a widespread misconception that de-googling increases an Android device's security: All apps and services provided by Google aren't a security risk.
When you're doing things with superuser ( AKA root ) permissions, you have the power to do anything.
Hey friend, thanks for the reply.
The purpose for de-googling was to increase productivity, not to increase the security of the device.
Are you aware of some basic things that could be done?
For example turning off NFC? This would limit device functionality, like using Pay features. But I could live with it...
Are there other suggestions or perhaps even modules/apps to install or settings to apply?
Thanks for the reply!
Hi everybody
I'm running a virtual android 7 - app name vphonegaga (faster better then vmos - in my opinion).
The host machine is LG G8S running android 11.
In the virtual machine - a certain service (within google play services) called "LocationAccuracyInjectorService" keeps getting disabled, even when being enabled manualy (using service disabler app).
has anyone encountered similar issue?
Any suggestions?
Thanx
Hey there
Same problem here GPS extremly laggy.
Didn't know about that specific service getting shut down. What I have found out, using the app GPS essentials, is that google location provider doesn't get a GPS fix at all. Further more, even when you get a fix using the GPS directly the satellites positions doesn't make sense they are positioned in a perfectly 12 clock like shape.
However after downloading the app you mentioned service disabler and enabling LocationAccuracyInjectorService and then checking GPS essentials app again google location provider will get a fix but will not update the location after that.
Hope this info will help a little.
Please inform if you found a solution
Forgot to mention that I'm using a huawei device.
Further more I've installed both chinese version (of vphonegaga app) and english version - that was installed via huawei app gallery - which means that the app was tested and found suitable for my device.
I thing it is safe to say that the problem is not with the host device.
Hope that this info will help too.
Hey there
The fake positions of the GPS satellites, that the GPS essentials app is showing, is reaffirming my susspision that something is tampering with the GPS feedback.
The vphonegaga app is aimed mainly towards gamers and there's a good chance that the developers of the app made sure that, this service will keep getting disabled for the sake of GPS spoofing.
There's also a possiblity that google play services themselves are detecting that the GPS sattelites locations are fake, and therefore disabling the LocationAccuracyInjectorService.
Either way, something keeps disabling that service. If we knew what it is, maybe we could find a way to work around it or simply prevent it from disabling the service.
I've been searching for an app or a way that will allow me to monitor and log the activity of that specific service, and see what keeps disabling it, but so far found nothing.
Don't blame this sleeping satellite - blame google!!!
Tasmin archers words, not mine...
Well the google part is mine
Jokes aside... The problem, that both of you are describing exists in VMOS as well.
Now VMOS is a virtual enviorment app that allows you to run different, various ROMs.
Therefore, VMOS itself, will not mess up your GPS, and it's very unlikly that all the VMOS ROMs that come with google services, have been tampered alike.
Therefore, the chances are - that google services themselves are disabling that specific service.
BTW - like I said I personly prefer VMOS, cause it is a much more sophisticated app with various (and editable) ROMS.
But I must say, that after checking vphonegaga, it does seem to run faster and better - for that specific android version 7.1.2