I knew it was Joever when my phone came with something named "MotoAI"
this post was submitted on 26 May 2026
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Tldr? How?
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An app update on Motorola phones has started hijacking the Amazon app for the sake of injecting an affiliate code. To do that, tapping the app icon opens the user’s browser and immediately redirects to the Amazon app. It’s a “blink and you missed it” moment. This only happens when the user opens the Amazon app from the app drawer – not the homescreen pages.
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We verified on a Razr (2026) running an older Smart Feed v2.03.0056 that this does not happen. Our Razr Fold, with app version 2.03.0070, has started showing this behavior, so it’s the latest update that’s to blame for hijacking the user’s intent. We couldn’t replicate this on a Moto G Stylus (2026) running the same app version, though. Sideloading the app, for reasons unclear, doesn’t seem to trigger this behavior, as manually installing the updated version on the aforementioned Razr (2026) didn’t show the same behavior.
In further digging, we noticed that the URL the phone opens up is “kira-abboud.com,” a website that references fashion influencer “@kirasfashionfinds.” Notably, this exact URL isn’t listed anywhere on Abboud’s social media, and the affiliate codes don’t match up either. The redirect coming from Motorola phones is using Amazona affiliate code “sramz-kff-008-20” which is completely different from any of the codes we saw from links shared by Abboud’s accounts and linked websites.
That sounds more like a phone got hit with malware than it necessarily being Motorola doing it. The same version of the app on multiple systems or side loading the suspicious version didn't trigger the behavior, so I'm doubtful the app itself is to blame.
Yeah but the app developer is Motorola. So unless they have had a breach (they'd like to tell us about) the call is coming from inside the house.
If "the call is coming from inside the house", why is it so specific/not very reproducible across the same app version and different methods of installing/accessing the app?
This is exactly why I said the bit about 'unless there's a breach'.
There's another comment on one of these threads that goes in depth about who the affiliate link supposedly belongs to, even though it doesn't match any of their known affiliate links, and it would appear that the affiliate link doesn't actually belong to Motorola (that anyone has been able to prove so far).
All that being said, Motorola is the developer of the app so if they pushed an update that causes this, then they are on the hook. Whether or not they are behind the affiliate link or there's some kind of MIM/malware or similar attack remains to be seen. Unfortunately we live in a time where app repos are being compromised left and right so with the limited information in the article this was my view of the situation.
Whether or not they are behind the affiliate link or there's some kind of MIM/malware or similar attack remains to be seen. Unfortunately we live in a time where app repos are being compromised left and right so with the limited information in the article this was my view of the situation.
I understand what you're saying, I'm saying the information we have doesn't fit the behavior you're equating this to.
Given they only had the issue when accessing it via the moto app drawer app on a limited number of phones and didn't see it when side loading or loading the app from another store, that is evidence against an app compromise and is closer to the behavior seen in local compromises. Were this an app level compromise as you're suggesting, the behavior wouldn't disappear on different devices or when side loaded.
I could easily be wrong, I just don't see the behavior I'd expect to see for a wide ranging own like a repo takeover.
Yeah, I didn't understand. Sorry about that.
I could potentially see this happing if it's an app that this app talks to that's compromised or perhaps if they have a second app installed that this app interfaces to/that is talking to this app to prompt this behavior.
It wasn't clear to me if they attempted to duplicate this on the same hardware by wiping the device and then side loading the app/installing it from a different app store.
But I think that's because this app is a stock app that can't generally be deleted (only rolled back to a previous version) from my understanding. But I may be wrong about that. This definitely makes it sound like it was the most recent update that caused this behavior.
An app update on Motorola phones has started hijacking the Amazon app for the sake of injecting an affiliate code. To do that, tapping the app icon opens the user’s browser and immediately redirects to the Amazon app. It’s a “blink and you missed it” moment. This only happens when the user opens the Amazon app from the app drawer – not the homescreen pages.
Yeah, it's a bit confusingly worded. A couple paragraphs down it starts to show how the behavior isn't consistent
We verified on a Razr (2026) running an older Smart Feed v2.03.0056 that this does not happen. Our Razr Fold, with app version 2.03.0070, has started showing this behavior, so it’s the latest update that’s to blame for hijacking the user’s intent. We couldn’t replicate this on a Moto G Stylus (2026) running the same app version, though. Sideloading the app, for reasons unclear, doesn’t seem to trigger this behavior, as manually installing the updated version on the aforementioned Razr (2026) didn’t show the same behavior.
Just the fact that the same version installed other ways didn't have the same behavior makes an app compromise conclusion hard to support. But you're entirely right that this could be secondary app caused, potentially the update mechanism on the phone was compromised, which might explain why side loading didn't have the same behavior.
Isn't Motorola the new msnufacturer for those GraphineOS phones? And now they do THIS???
Kinda makes them feel less trustworthy to install a security based rom on.
Ive been with Pixel for a while and was looking forward to my next phone being a Motorola but this is NOT a good look at all
From reading the article, the conclusion right now is that this isn't a conscious act by Motorola.
My guess is they used an open source library in their Smart Feed app that has been poisoned with an affiliate link injection. Either that or someone working at Motorola slipped the code in and their quality control process missed it.
Neither one of those is a good look for Motorola. But it probably isn't as bad as the headline makes it sounds.
On a side note, I ditched the increasingly shoddy Pixel a series for a mid-level Motorola phone a couple of years ago and haven't looked back.
Ive got a Pixel 8 Pro with GOS and I love it
I've got a Pixel 9 and at the first opportunity this piece of shit is being skipped into the river like a flat stone.
Seconded, though the sooner I'm able to get GrapheneOS on another phone, the better, as Google's quality plunge after the Pixel 5 series was just inexcusable.
Edit: Actually, pretty much almost every Pixel phone has had some major hardware defect, including the ones before the 6 series.
The question is if the next gos phone will have a competitive camera quality in order to be a viable alternative for more people than only "high targets"
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I said this in another comment, but the same app version being loaded on multiple phones and it doesn't affect all of them, or side loading the app, or launching from a home screen all can bypass the issue, so it sounds more like malware than corporate fuckery.
It's app level injection, so presumably if you install GrapheneOS or use a different "smart feed app" (some kind of launcher for Motorola? I haven't used one before), it won't affect the user. Although, I agree it's a pretty bad look on the QA of preloaded apps.
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Stock ROMs are removed immediately when obtaining a new phone
Somehow feels like manipulating media now that android lockdown draws near and graphene os + motorola is one of the few fighting it
Shitty behavior on the part of Moto.
On the other hand, installing GOS gets rid of this issue. I'll likely still buy a Moto if I have the option of installing GOS myself. I wouldn't trust Moto to not add something to a pre-installed GOS.
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They won't get away with that sort of sh*t when they're selling with GrapheneOS on them- assuming that deal continues to make progress.
The only mobile OS worth using at this point is Graphene if you ask me.
Not sure what happened, possibly some mim, i dont think Motorola would risk reputational damage for a merely few $ through such low level highjack.
I dont think it any ill will here by Motorola.
I would have to first have an Amazon app, or account.
You were the chosen one!
Good thing I don't use Amazon.
Ah yes one of the reasons why GrafeneOS will support Motorola devices soon /s
Seems like their parent company hasn't learned anything since the whole Superfish nonsense all those years ago. Glad I've stayed far away from them all this time.
Did they just not see the backlash and class actions filed against PayPal/Honey, CapitalOne, etc. for this same affiliate code swapping scheme and just decided they'd do it anyway? Surely they had to have seen that, or did they think it was a good idea done blatantly and are trying to be sneakier about it?
Why should anyone install the amazon app? I mean… it's a website (if one realy must…)
Amazon is a computer activity for sure. But I try not to use it at all. I've been fairly successful cutting them out of my life.
Even worse. The Amazon app is trash that sometimes doesn't work at all, but the Amazon website works well on mobile.
I actually find the app is very nice compared to the mobile website on a pixel 9, of course I'm on GrapheneOS so I can enjoy apps from shitty companies without worrying too much about it doing shady things.
Although as of the past week, they've been injecting a shop with Alexa ad when you first open the app that slows you down by a few seconds, which is extremely infuriating.
I'm one of those shitty human beings who, unfortunately, orders fairly often from Amazon.
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