  Android devices are equipped with many pre-installed applications which have
the capability of tracking and monitoring users. Although applications coming
pre-installed pose a great danger to user security and privacy, they have
received little attention so far among researchers in the field. In this study,
we collect a dataset comprising such applications and make it publicly
available. Using this dataset, we analyze tracker SDKs, manifest files and the
use of cloud services and report our results. We also conduct a user survey to
understand concerns and perceptions of users. Last but not least, we present a
risk scoring system which assigns scores for smart phones consolidating our
findings based on carefully weighted criteria. With this scoring system, users
could give their own trust decisions based on the available concise information
about the security and privacy impacts of applications pre-installed on their
Android devices.
