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I can't seem to find anything that touches on this, so I thought I'd go ahead and ask.
My girlfriend (who is in another state at the moment for a couple months) is concerned someone has 'hacked' her phone.
As much as I know right now, she had her phone sitting on her desk and it came on, out of sleep, bypassing her pattern lock and started automatically downloading and updating her Maps app. She does not have her phone rooted or modded in anyway, just some additional apps (none that deal with app management) and as far as I know (I have a Samsung Vibrant) there are no 'automatically update' option in any of the menus.
Anyone have any idea? I know this is very little information, but it's all I can grab right now and I had a few minutes.
Thanks in advance for any responses!
jwrichards1982 said:
I can't seem to find anything that touches on this, so I thought I'd go ahead and ask.
My girlfriend (who is in another state at the moment for a couple months) is concerned someone has 'hacked' her phone.
As much as I know right now, she had her phone sitting on her desk and it came on, out of sleep, bypassing her pattern lock and started automatically downloading and updating her Maps app. She does not have her phone rooted or modded in anyway, just some additional apps (none that deal with app management) and as far as I know (I have a Samsung Vibrant) there are no 'automatically update' option in any of the menus.
Anyone have any idea? I know this is very little information, but it's all I can grab right now and I had a few minutes.
Thanks in advance for any responses!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to be sure, she has an Eris, correct? I only ask because if her Android Phone (since it's not rooted) is not an Eris then it could have Android OS 2.2 (Froyo), and the Android Market for Froyo does have an option (she would've had to toggle it on somehow) to autoupdate individual apps.
If she definitely has a unrooted Eris and therefore running 2.1, it may still be possible that she installed the Market from 2.2 (there are various sources to do so), although it doesn't sound likely from your description. She would be aware if she did that, too.
I would double check to make sure she has the phone set to only install apps through the Market:
Long-press Menu
Settings
Applications
Make sure that "Unknown sources" is unchecked.
I don't know if it would still be possible for a malicious app to be installed with it unchecked, but it should definitely reduce the probability.
I've seen weird things happen on all sorts of electronics/computers/phones so unless something else suspicious happened, or she has good reason to believe someone did something to her phone in person that would allow them to do things to it remotely, then I wouldn't sweat it yet.
I originally used security software on my phone, but I haven't for a long time.
If she wants to be certain nothing has invaded her phone, then she could do a factory reset:
Long-press Menu
Settings
Privacy
Factory data reset
This will erase everything that didn't come with her phone. Without root access, noone could've done anything permanent to it.
When she boots the phone after the reset, and puts her Google email and password in, Google will automatically restore her Contacts and Calendar (takes several minutes if a lot of data), but she would have to either manually reinstall and reconfigure her apps, or use a backup program like Titanium Backup, or My Backup Pro. MBP is much slower but recent versions have gotten faster and overall I've had better success with it than TB, but many people swear by TB so it just depends.
Good luck.
Dear Friends!
Glad to be here today (after 2 days! )
My dear Streaker is here!!
As the norm is, I have been busy tinkering with the stock material for couple o days, and I will continue to do so for some more time!
___________________________________________________________
Query: There are too many apps running (background) all the time!! I kill them, they resurrect!, How to do away with that?
Solution applied: Used Advanced task killer (but, apps resurrect!)
Another Solution tried: In Settings>Account & Sync settings> Unchecked Background data and Auto sync options. (Now, they dont connect to the net, but, they still restart!!)
Another Solution: Force close (from Manage apps) .. (Still same issue!)
Now, How can I tell the apps to come up only when I call them!?
(And some other apps I want to schedule them to come up every hour or so.. like my Gmail/FB)
____________________________________________________________
And, So far has been amazing experience!!
The screen is football field sized!! (Monster! yikes Scooby!)
Digging up all old posts to read some problems faced by new users..
Current hobby: Market and apps.
Future hobby: Roms and Flash!
Thank you all for your help!
care,
Sony.
Welcome to the cool kids club! I'm in a somewhat similar situation, I got my streak just before the massive snowstorm hit. Some of those apps need to be running... if you close some of them you may not get updates/notifications, or you can shut down your phone/data connection, or lose the use of multitouch.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
from what i understand, froyo is really good with resource management and there is no need to constantly kill processes or apps, its best to just leave them unless your streak is slow like a snail
Telal said:
Welcome to the cool kids club! I'm in a somewhat similar situation, I got my streak just before the massive snowstorm hit. Some of those apps need to be running... if you close some of them you may not get updates/notifications, or you can shut down your phone/data connection, or lose the use of multitouch.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lose multi touch!
How?
@rptw
So, It wouldnt really matter if there are apps running in the BG, and they start by themselves too!?
care,
Sony.
well in terms of the laws of nature (in most cases) stuff doesnt happen spontaneously so i think its safe to assume that your app that "started by themselves" were probably opened somehow either by you directly or indirectly by something else. if, however, you have a large number of apps that have started that you dont recall opening, maybe something is wrong with your software and you shouldnt try to cover the problem with a task killer.
So, what next!?
rptw said:
well in terms of the laws of nature (in most cases) stuff doesnt happen spontaneously so i think its safe to assume that your app that "started by themselves" were probably opened somehow either by you directly or indirectly by something else. if, however, you have a large number of apps that have started that you dont recall opening, maybe something is wrong with your software and you shouldnt try to cover the problem with a task killer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, Now, can you or other guys here please suggest how to go to the "root" of this problem!?
Ok.
Look, these apps are open right now!
Voice Search
Email
Messaging
Maps
Astro
Assistant free
I use the Adv Task Killer free.
(It says 7 apps killed and 180 MB free)
I open Adv task killer after 5 seconds.
and these apps are running!
Email
astro
Voice Search
Assistant Free
and I am sure, If I wait for some more time, the other apps will join in too!
(Now it says, 3 Apps killed, 171 MB free!!)
care,
Sony.
have you tried using the stock app manager and killing the apps there? i just checked my phone and i have the same apps under the running tab using the stock manager, i think email and messaging are always running since you have push features on them, in terms of the others im not sure. whats so bad about email and messaging running anyways? im sure you use them often enough to not want to have to open and close them right?
Hey, you posted the same question over at Pocketables forum.
As stated earlier, 2.2 is really good at managing back ground tasks.
I can tell you if you use a task killer and you have a problem with an APP, which currently you do not, the programmer for the app probably will not help you till you remove the APP killer program.
What you might try to do is run though your menus and see what you have selected to run, such as locations and sync services and disable what you can. Also if you do not want some thing running, you may want to just uninstall it. I do understand that you want some programs but you only want them to run when you ask, not sure how to tell you to handle that.
But, are you seeing any difference when you have the background tasks disabled. Try to find the APK for the programs and rename them just to see if you have any issues.
I have noticed these chinese apps some how self installing on my S2.
Any idea how to get to the source of these unauthorized installs? (Lookout & AVG & NetQin don't detect them as malicious or find any reason for how they are getting on there).
Currently using KH3 + CFRoot.
Why do people give so little information when they post?
What Chinese apps? (Please provide a screen shot if the app name is in Chinese) .
This sounds really really bad.
Has this happened to any one else?
It should not be possible for this to happen.
Does your phone have any connection with China or have you installed any Chinese software?
If this is happening then you must have done something yourself to start the process. Nothing can install itself without your consent, unless there's malicious software that's bypassing the system and installing for you, but you would have had to install that first.
So, as above, a lot more information is needed. Personally, I'd just do a complete wipe and hard reset and never install anything from untrusted sources again, including warez, 3rd party app stores and the Chinese Market, which is known to have had dodgy software before now.
My friend got an S2 from China and it was preloaded with all those Chinese apps. Examples include QQ Security Suite and some other apps. I used Titanium Backup to uninstall but after each restart, the app re-appears!
I was surprised that Titanium couldn't uninstall. It says it uninstalled successfully but it just re-appears. The only thing I could do is to do a re-flash to a Hong Kong firmware without all those pre-loaded Chinese apps.
But before you wipe everything, please help us try and find out how it happened?
Again has this happened to any one else? Because I want to know if this could happen to my phone!
Mine also did this on stock rom i would uninstall samsung apps reboot and it would reappear on my menu. Is it possible the rom comes with an auto install script for the preloaded apps?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
otester said:
I have noticed these chinese apps some how self installing on my S2.
Any idea how to get to the source of these unauthorized installs? (Lookout & AVG & NetQin don't detect them as malicious or find any reason for how they are getting on there).
Currently using KH3 + CFRoot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have CF-Root, you have super user installed. Review your permissions. You can also install LBE privacy guard and set permissions for all apps as well, including many system apps (you'll need to 'untrust' them first).
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Sorry for the little information guys, was 5am and very tired
I deleted the second incarnation of the app as soon as I saw it (worried about personal details being taken etc.) however it if it reappears again then I will screenshot it.
Virus scanners don't detect them as malicious, when the program opened (after stealth install) I went through it, albeit in Chinese it looked like a legit program and the menu worked etc.
I have market 3.1.3 installed (got the apk off the internet) and a few apps that got removed from the market place (torrent clients and certain games I couldn't find etc.) so it could well have been put in them.
I'm thinking about a hard reset, not using titan backup to avoid it coming back and a re-flash.
Also my phone has no connection with China (purchased in the UK), this has only happened recently.
Is there any more info needed before reset etc.?
Looks like the suspect apps removed from the market may have been the cause.
Does anybody know if running as root alows all download apps to run with root permissions?
LouisJB said:
Looks like the suspect apps removed from the market may have been the cause.
Does anybody know if running as root alows all download apps to run with root permissions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Issue is the damage seems to have been done, looks like I have no choice but to reflash etc. Need a virus scanner that has root so it can do a deeper scan.
Superuser is a lot like UAC on Windows Vista/7, it will popup and ask you to allow/deny.
Also is there any way to wipe the device while re flashing to ensure this gets removed?
I found a folder on my Internal Storage "QinqiQuan" (Google Image search pinpoints this as one of the apps) which translates in Chinese to English as "Infringement", however the app itself appears to be a legitimate Chinese social app so I'm not sure of my original concern regarding "Infringement" being copyright related etc.
Another few suspicious folders were "the9GameCenter" & "waze".
In future I'll be sticking the Market and official sites, even if that means doing without certain apps that aren't available on my handset/region
Isnt waze a community based sat nav app?
poults said:
Isnt waze a community based sat nav app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The apps themselves appear legitimate, but I didn't authorize the installs which is what worries me.
I wiped internal storage, wiped data and then re-flashed + CFRooted.
Hopefully what ever it was, won't come back
And how about the security in your computer? As we know, you can install an app in your phone via your market account using your computer. Perhaps someone is playing around with your market account. If this is the case, changing your password would be a good idea.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
angelomaldito said:
And how about the security in your computer? As we know, you can install an app in your phone via your market account using your computer. Perhaps someone is playing around with your market account. If this is the case, changing your password would be a good idea.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I have changed my password and turned on all the Google security settings, albeit a bit of pain, does give peace of mind
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
I installed Swype on my TP yesterday and everything seemed fine, but today I keep getting the message that [bunch of asian characters] has stopped. I had no idea what it possibly could be since I don;t know what it says so I thought it might be Swype and went into Input on Settings to turn Swype off. Now, under KEYBOARD AND INPUT METHODS the first thing says Default and under it is a bunch of Asian characters. Under that is all the input methods. The interesting thing is there are two selections that are checked yet grayed out so I can't deselect them which are Japenese IME and the last one is those Asian characters. What is going on and how do I get rid of them?
OK. I went through all my Apps in Settings and at the very end is one named with Asian characters. Under the name it says version 4.0.3-eng.erik.20120221.223654. It doesn't give me the option to uninstall it, but I have disabled it. I don't download a lot of apps, and I certainly don't download shady looking apps, so where did it come from and how do I get rid of it??????
It could be something else pushed on you - some apps with the Networks and Internet permissions push random apps to your phone without you knowing it (or explicitly allowing it). My girlfriend has a music app that does it to her sometimes, and it's annoying, but not malicious (at least, not that I've seen).
I tried deleting it through Titanium but it didn't work so I decided to try installing the Nightly version of CM9 and that got rid of it completely. Still, weird!
loomism2 said:
I tried deleting it through Titanium but it didn't work so I decided to try installing the Nightly version of CM9 and that got rid of it completely. Still, weird!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
check if the application is considered a system app
ve6ay said:
It could be something else pushed on you - some apps with the Networks and Internet permissions push random apps to your phone without you knowing it (or explicitly allowing it). My girlfriend has a music app that does it to her sometimes, and it's annoying, but not malicious (at least, not that I've seen).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
installing applications on your phone/tablet without your "permission" is the definition of malicious.
IIRC there has been some sort of Asian language keyboard in CM9/ICS for a while. I remember disabling it a while ago, not sure why its included in an English version of the OS.
Well, when I installed the Nightly build all Japanese-related input choices disappeared, so maybe they aren't included in CM9 anymore? Whatever the reason, I am happy it is solved.
Varemenos said:
check if the application is considered a system app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was considered a system app to Titanium, and to the phone as well, I guess. Titanium said it would do some special thing and the phone would reboot twice and it would be gone. Well, when it was finished doing its thing the app was still there. I think I tried using Titanium to remove the stock Music app that came with the phone and it didn't work right then, either. I can't remember how I got rid of that, but I eventually did.
Hello there! I have been having a bit of a problem lately. I own a BLU Dash 5.0 simunlocked from factory. It's a double sim model, which I have two sims, since the companies are spanish, let's call them Green Sim and Blue Sim (since that's how they are color coded in my status bar). It is also running Android Jelly Bean 4.2. Here is the problem. Ever since of March 20, a Chinese app appeared on my home screen, I don't know how, something called "Mobile Video" but the content was in a foreign Asian language. I suspect of my friend since I lent it to him for 15 minutes and then it appeared. Aside of this, the wifi and the Green Sim 3G was turned on.
I clicked on the app curious of it was something my friend downloaded from me, but then the app prompted me two options, I didn't know what it said since again, it was Asian. Next, I proceeded to uninstall it, going to my apps list, I was surprised to see another mysterious app, "Push_Down", that was the name. I uninstalled both Mobile Video and Push_Down. I thought I fixed the problem. Wrong.
Next day when I woke up, I found two new apps on my homescreen, and again, the Wifi and Green Sim 3G was on.These were Chinese also. I uninstalled them both and found once again "Push_Down" in my apps. After I uninstalled them, I thought the problem was finally fixed. Wrong again. Since this event, about every 2 or 3 hours, my Wifi and Green Sim 3G turn on automatically, but haven't downloaded anything new, one, because I have no credit left, and two, I have no internet at home. Ever since, daily I wake up, the same problem, the Wifi and 3G are on. I checked my SD Card, I checked my Phone Storage, both with 2 Antivirus (Avast!, and Lookout Mobile) and with Addons Detector. Surprisingly, nothing has appeared.
My last option is what hurts me most, to reset my phone, which I don't want to do since I have lots of apps installed, progress made with certain games and etc, etc. Also, I am not a root user, so I haven't rooted and won't root my phone.
Now, can anyone please help me? I am very annoyed at this happening everyday!
same problem...cheinese apps keep reinstalling
I too have had this problem for a few weeks now. Got a Chinese smartphone for Christmas (ok i know thats the first mistake, but it was worth a try for the money). mfaction royale mp720 (mpie comes up on the startup screen). Anyway i realised there where a few Chinese apps that came with it (pinyin and a app with a orange icon with a squirrel logo on it) so i unistalled these without problem. One chinese app i couldn't uninstall so i disabled it in the app settings
Everything had been working fine without problem and had been very happy with the phone until a week or so ago. started getting the apps described above installing. These include 'push_down' 'push_collect' 'filegogo' 'mobile video' and some others with chinese writing on them. I also get my phone setting itself to mute when these apps reappear. Keep uninstalling them but they keep coming back. Have tried AVG and Antimalware but they only flag things up as they install themselves, not the thing thats doing the installing. I thought that google account might be a problem so changed password and reset my phone to factory default. As a test i didn't connect back to google account. No joy. Although some apps have not reappeared some have and this morning a new one so i don't think its google account.
I did read some Chinese phones can have the malware embedded into the firmware but it's been fine for months. Perhaps there is a delay so your not likely to send the phone back then the malware begins. If this is the case then the only way round would be to root the phone then find the app or apps that are doing this. Not sure if it's easy to root one of these phones.
Anyone else had these symptoms after a full factory reset?. Anyone been able to sort it out? Anyone know of a guide to root his phone?
Hmmmmm....
cmillsy said:
I too have had this problem for a few weeks now. Got a Chinese smartphone for Christmas (ok i know thats the first mistake, but it was worth a try for the money). mfaction royale mp720 (mpie comes up on the startup screen). Anyway i realised there where a few Chinese apps that came with it (pinyin and a app with a orange icon with a squirrel logo on it) so i unistalled these without problem. One chinese app i couldn't uninstall so i disabled it in the app settings
Everything had been working fine without problem and had been very happy with the phone until a week or so ago. started getting the apps described above installing. These include 'push_down' 'push_collect' 'filegogo' 'mobile video' and some others with chinese writing on them. I also get my phone setting itself to mute when these apps reappear. Keep uninstalling them but they keep coming back. Have tried AVG and Antimalware but they only flag things up as they install themselves, not the thing thats doing the installing. I thought that google account might be a problem so changed password and reset my phone to factory default. As a test i didn't connect back to google account. No joy. Although some apps have not reappeared some have and this morning a new one so i don't think its google account.
I did read some Chinese phones can have the malware embedded into the firmware but it's been fine for months. Perhaps there is a delay so your not likely to send the phone back then the malware begins. If this is the case then the only way round would be to root the phone then find the app or apps that are doing this. Not sure if it's easy to root one of these phones.
Anyone else had these symptoms after a full factory reset?. Anyone been able to sort it out? Anyone know of a guide to root his phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, as much as my experience from rooting, I haven't done it once again after a bad event I had, like almost bricking an old phone I had which for my good luck there was a way to restore it Ever since, I won't root anymore unless there exists a ROM backup by the manufacturer. But still, I don't know what's causing this. My phone has been fine since stock, I have more than 2 months with it! The problem started since last Thursday, which is why I suspect it's an app I downloaded or ad I clicked on. Any ideas?
(Also, thanks for your reply )