Last week I noticed a device under my Google Play account (My Devices) that is not mine, a phone on a Romanian cell phone company network. I also noticed that someone from Russia had accessed my Gmail account. I changed my Gmail password (the old one was alpha-numerica,random, with symbols) and turned on two step authentication.
The Gmail account seems to be ok. The contacts all there and no messages removed or messages sent by people other than me.
The only sign of the intrusion is about a dozen "free" apps ordered by that device. It included sketchy gambling apps, a child's game that from comments I read has adult advertisements, and ringtones. After I changed the password there are new "free" media on the account - books and various video. These appear to be from a different user - all in English as opposed to Russian and nothing sketchy.
My guess on how this started - I downloaded an app with about 100 reviews. The next day the "free" apps started to appear, and the unauthorized device also was added the next day.
My SGS 3 isn't rooted. For Jellybean it seems that I have to wait for a stable root, should be another few days.
I contacted the Play Store support and they were of no help. They referred me to Gmail support but Gmail doesn't offer phone support. I think only support on a Google Group forum.
Any idea how this could have happened and how to get this device off of my account? My PC's are secure and my primary PC is Linux.
starfcker69 said:
Last week I noticed a device under my Google Play account (My Devices) that is not mine, a phone on a Romanian cell phone company network. I also noticed that someone from Russia had accessed my Gmail account. I changed my Gmail password (the old one was alpha-numerica,random, with symbols) and turned on two step authentication.
The Gmail account seems to be ok. The contacts all there and no messages removed or messages sent by people other than me.
The only sign of the intrusion is about a dozen "free" apps ordered by that device. It included sketchy gambling apps, a child's game that from comments I read has adult advertisements, and ringtones. After I changed the password there are new "free" media on the account - books and various video. These appear to be from a different user - all in English as opposed to Russian and nothing sketchy.
My guess on how this started - I downloaded an app with about 100 reviews. The next day the "free" apps started to appear, and the unauthorized device also was added the next day.
My SGS 3 isn't rooted. For Jellybean it seems that I have to wait for a stable root, should be another few days.
I contacted the Play Store support and they were of no help. They referred me to Gmail support but Gmail doesn't offer phone support. I think only support on a Google Group forum.
Any idea how this could have happened and how to get this device off of my account? My PC's are secure and my primary PC is Linux.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the IMEI # of the phone added to my account, also the model number (registered in Russian Federation). Could the IMEI be useful? I can PM if interested.
Imeis are quite useful to many people...Just don't pursue this on xda.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
My account too was almost hacked.
I signed into youtube and a notice was shown that someone from ip in china tried to log into my google account and it denied them and i changed my password. No weird apps nothing.
The thing is probably the app you downloaded.
Just because it has 100 downloads doesn't mean its malware but you need to check permissions always.
Even big games like "Paper Toss" has been know to sell peoples info to companies.
When you read permissions. There should be a list of all the options the app requests.
Be Smart. If you download a calculator, It shouldn't have access to your personal identy, messages and the big key is internet access.
If you download a calender it may need access to contacts but it it also needs internet access, its probably is storing your contacts and sending them out to a site that then sells to a company and lastly, your grandparents receive phone calls asking if they want to buy a service and use your name as who referred them.
Also. rooting is a good option. With an app on here called pdroid or droidwall you can download those apps but it will alert yyou when the app wants to use a permission (like internet) and gives you the option to allow or deny.
good luck
I have one update. I think that after I changed my password and went to two step verification, the purchases of "free" apps and media stopped. It's been four days and nothing new added. So far so good. Thanks for the replies. BTW, Google of no help.
I'd still like to know how the Gmail account was compromised - I may never know.
similar thing just happened to me (Galaxy Note) appeared on my account from no where. When I contacted google if they can help or if they are interested in tracking him down, all they said was we cant help you. And change the pw. Obviously I know that I need to change the pw. I know Apple would have tracked it down somehow if it was an iphone. My pw has 22 characters number letter symbols yet it was hacked.
Since google is not helping me I installed Android Lost app on this NOTE and waiting to get a location update via email. I know it wont do anything much and I cant do anything against him or her since no paid apps were downloaded. Still I would like to do something to crooks like this. He only had 6 apps installed (facebook,viber candy rush) and terminal emulator (which worried me).
I really hope that Android close their unlimited backdoors in the OS.
(rooted i9500, Android 4.2.2)
I've just spent an hour or two browsing the web looking for some factual information on what this service is actually for. I found lots of threads for it, people speaking about draining battery because of it, I found a lot of threads that had discussion on "exchange emails" and some microsoft services, but also about imap's and pop's, but not single thread that actuall says what this service is for, which could give me information if I could disable it.
Till now I thought this is a very important background service from google, that has crucial role in all sync operations (callendar, contacts, email including gmail) etc, and if I disable it, all this syncing will stop. But I'm starting to think differently, as I just disabled this service and did a little check by sending myself an email, and the galaxy received it instantly.
So, can someone knoledgable tell me exactly what this service is about?
Yes it is, it's for Microsoft exchange mail. You should use the GMail app it's way better anyways
@Up
Thanks a lot AJM-hackers for taking the time.
So to make sure, this service is strictly used, when someone is using the "Microsoft exchange mail". It is used for nothing else?
I do use only gmail, since my first android phone. So it is completely safe to disable this service in these circumstances (I don't use Microsofts exchange mail and won't)?
Sorry to look a bit paranoid here, but could somebody confirm the above? I just don't want to break something, and then spend a full day looking for the cause, which would turn out to be the disabling of "Exchange Services".
No problems in 2 days whatsoever.
I guess that settles it for me. Thanks for the help AJM-hackers.
Topic can be closed.
Whats up guys?
I have two Google accounts that I use on my tablet. A primary one that I use for Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, etc.... and another one that I use for the sole purpose of purchasing apps. This happened due to limitations in my country so I made this other account with US data so I can buy apps with it.
This other account doesn't have any noteworthy data about me. I don't sync anything to it except apps.
So my question is. Can I share that account with other friends/family? so they can take advantages of some of the apps i purchased? Keep in mind that nobody can really purchase anything for themselves in my country (Egypt) and I went through hoops to get that one working and credit added to it, so I'm thinking about sharing this account with one or two people.
So can I do that? and if I did. Is there anything wrong with it? Are there any risks involved?
Thanks in advance and sorry if I posted this on the wrong forum.
According to Apple, the Apple ID can be associated with a maximum of 10 devices, I have read somewhere, that it was the same with Google. I have seen the same Google account used on 3-4 devices without any problem. If you want to share your account with 3 more people or devices, I would say go ahead. But if the number of people or devices exceeds more than that, then I would suggest to contact Google and ask them the upper usage limit of a single account on different devices.
The first thing that came to my mind, was to be careful and not syncing your data with that account (even by mistake).
Also.. make sure you trust them, I think this is obvious
Hey guys,
When enabling the hidden sync option in experimental settings, it reveals quite a few new sync items and in wondering what they are and what some of them turn themselves back on when I disable them.
Game Data - this shows up twice.
Credentials State
Google Nearby (I'm assuming this is for maps)
Location Reporting and Location History (I have location completely disabled and location reporting disabled in Google settings... This keeps turning itself back on)
Push Subscriptions
People Details
Any light you can shed on this would be appreciated.
you're not alone wondering
The day I have been looking for an answer myself on this topic you started this thread.
The fine folks over here seem to have been ignoring your post, but so you know you are not alone wondering.
I have been disabling the hidden services for days now and tried to find a pattern or activity that turns them back on to no avail.
Even search engine results seem to be filtered of any useful answer, but this may be just another conspiracy theory...
If you found out more on this, post it here please.
And thanks.
lleo_ said:
The day I have been looking for an answer myself on this topic you started this thread.
The fine folks over here seem to have been ignoring your post, but so you know you are not alone wondering.
I have been disabling the hidden services for days now and tried to find a pattern or activity that turns them back on to no avail.
Even search engine results seem to be filtered of any useful answer, but this may be just another conspiracy theory...
If you found out more on this, post it here please.
And thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of them are self explanatory.
Game data: for games (whether you have them or not) so that your scores are uptodate.
Credentials state: for certificates in your device.
Google nearby: for maps and NFC
Location reporting and history: to keep your location details uptodate
Push subscriptions: to keep your push subscriptions uptodate (like mail Whatsapp etc)
People details: to keep your contacts list uptodate
I don't know why these are not obvious.
Regarding some of them automatically getting re-enabled, I don't have any such issues. If you continue to have these issues, you may have to use something like Myandroidtools or Disable Service etc to keep them under control.
tnsmani said:
All of them are self explanatory.
Game data: for games (whether you have them or not) so that your scores are uptodate.
Credentials state: for certificates in your device.
Google nearby: for maps and NFC
Location reporting and history: to keep your location details uptodate
Push subscriptions: to keep your push subscriptions uptodate (like mail Whatsapp etc)
People details: to keep your contacts list uptodate
I don't know why these are not obvious.
Regarding some of them automatically getting re-enabled, I don't have any such issues. If you continue to have these issues, you may have to use something like Myandroidtools or Disable Service etc to keep them under control.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really thanks for your reply.
The visible items are self-explanatory indeed. As the OP reported, what is troubling why is there a hidden "location reporting and location history" sync option and why does it get re-enabled after being turned off. I also do not use any location service and turned off everything I could on my CM11 on Nexus 5
Can you tell which service do you suggest to be disabled to keep the "location reporting and location history" sync disabled?
lleo_ said:
Really thanks for your reply.
The visible items are self-explanatory indeed. As the OP reported, what is troubling why is there a hidden "location reporting and location history" sync option and why does it get re-enabled after being turned off. I also do not use any location service and turned off everything I could on my CM11 on Nexus 5
Can you tell which service do you suggest to be disabled to keep the "location reporting and location history" sync disabled?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not familiar with CM11 so I can't tell you any options in that. Also in my Nexus 4 and 7 with stock KK 4.4.4, I don't have a hidden sync for location.
If you use Myandroidtools or Disable Service, then disable anything connected with location. There are quite a few.
If you run Tasker you can make sure your sync settings stay put; location reporting isn't re-enabled, by using the Synker plugin for Tasker and having it set things how you want them at Display On, Display Off, and Screen Unlocked events.
Additionally, Shazam has a hidden sync that re-enabled itself when you run the app. I just use a Task shortcut: Launch Shazam
Wait Short period
Plugins-> Synker, and set it with the autisyncs you want.
Beware that Google services pushed to the phone can change the number of sync options, as can installing Shazam or Skype for examples, and the calls to plugin need to be adjusted. Its less hassle than it sounds.
Hi im facing an issue with google sync, im not able to get the game data sync option in google sync. i have updated google play services,play store..and also play games. kindly help me if know any solution.
I am currently running on cm11 rc3...it was working before..now its not...
il hit the thanks button guys..
srinikethan1392 said:
Hi im facing an issue with google sync, im not able to get the game data sync option in google sync. i have updated google play services,play store..and also play games. kindly help me if know any solution.
I am currently running on cm11 rc3...it was working before..now its not...
il hit the thanks button guys..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have disabled any sync option with DisableService or MyAndroidTools etc re-enable them.
CM's constant revision sometimes changes things unexpectedly. So try with a previous version of CM.
tnsmani said:
If you have disabled any sync option with DisableService or MyAndroidTools etc re-enable them.
CM's constant revision sometimes changes things unexpectedly. So try with a previous version of CM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,thanks for the reply...i finally solved it....
srinikethan1392 said:
Hi,thanks for the reply...i finally solved it....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How?
tnsmani said:
How?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey after flashing and updating the gapps..check in settings..in sync....if it stills hasnt appeared. use greenify and hibernate the google play services. then just restart your phone(Not necessary, sometimes it just works)then checck...the sync for game data and other hidden sync items just appear...
Press thanks if helped
They are spying on you. These HIDDEN accounts are there and the sheep who use stock android can't see them because they are HIDDEN in stock Android. They keep adding themselves back, they check themselves even if you unckeck them, they sync things you tell them not to sync, and it's NOT because you update something as I have not updated Cyanogenmod from 4.4 and it happens every time I start my tablet. Google will keep spying and can care less if its illegal to keep syncing things you don't want to sync because Google owns the US government. Google saved HHS when ACH Website failed, they have imbedded themselves so far into the government they are like a cancer that can't be removed. The US Gov "lent" Google GeoSat, one of our SPY satellites to make Google Earth, something that cost tax payers a lot of money. Google may provide Google Earth for free but they STEAL your personal information when you use the service, which means Google got free use of a US Government, taxpayer owned, SPY satellite so they could make more money for their private (not government run) company. Google gets free & subsidized aircraft fuel from NASA for their fleet of Attack Jets (IE fighter planes) also subsidized by WE THE PEOPLE. I am not some conspiracy theorist; I have worked for both sides of the isle on this one and can tell you Google is a problem.
Let's be honest, XDA has turned into a bunch of fanboys; it's not the site we had years ago. I have been fighting this crap for years (Look at my post history) and if you have not figured out yet, most of us who cared about privacy left XDA years ago. This is why no one is responding here; no one left cares. You are very correct, Google Play Services is MALWARE in disguise. I am not a crApple lover at all, and still use Android (for now), but am sick of Google's crap. I ported out my Google Voice number today and now have very little left to do with the company.
Google services is a framework that GApps and most stuff downloaded from the Play Store rely on to function. It used to be you can disable it and still have apps work, but a lot of them now wont even load if its removed or disabled. Google says its a way for app devs to take shortcuts, but it's there for one reason: Make App Devs LAZY so they they use Google's SPYWARE. App Devs (even most paid ones) don't give a crap about your privacy; most are adding ad code so they can steal your personal information. Google loves this as it opens up your device to have everything stolen, by not only Google but 3rd parties. Why do you think Google removed the ability to block app permissions then claimed it was a dev only feature? Google could care less about your privacy.
I sent the three main Google guys (@Google email not @gmail... Yes I know the Google Guys Real Emails) a project proposal from the company I own two years ago; they [legal, but Shady] stole the idea and nine months later made the announcement that in a few months they would be starting on Android Auto. My SMS messages going through Google Voice started to have issues shortly after with anything concerning to business coming in slow or didn't arrive at all, my Google+ posts were blocked for unknown reasons just saying they "didn't fit the community guidelines", and my Camera/Mic was constantly pushing popups saying they "couldn't start as they were already active" when I tried to use them on my Android Devices. I don't know why it's so hard for these sheep to believe a $500 Bil company, one of the most powerful in the world, wouldn't be spying on competitors or even stealing ideas from the community. I wouldn't be shocked if these creepy elite weirdo's havn't come up with their own version of "unReality TV" where they just spy on regular people like watching a television show. They are creepy vampires, all of them. I have had dating emails sent to gmail from the dating site I use not arrive despite the company I use tracking down the emails and saying they made it to gmail servers and thus should have gone through, client emails be delayed until after project deadlines, phone calls not make it, SMS/MMS delayed and/or lost, etc. I have people telling me they emailed or called me without reply, etc. My PC is virus free and My Android Tablet is as well. I now use a dumb phone and forward everything to that number, which no shock the dumb phone works when people call, but anything that goes through Google servers is still hit or miss. No one I know has these problems, but no one I know has called Eric Schmidt some foul names, so I guess people will say "it's my fault". Whatever; you just didn't get robbed several billion on a project by a garbage greedy scumbag company.
Screw Google.
I have attached a little of what I am talking about because the net is filled with BS. The I had to block out a lot of the proposal email as they only stole part of the idea so far and this was my SECOND email. The first one has some how gone missing from my sent box, but had a DOC attachment with a formal business proposal. That went through, but as you can see from the screen shots, Eric Schmidt has now blocked me with a policy rule on his email. Again, they received the original proposal back in January of 2014, before this screen shot of the second correspondence, after which they started blocking my Google+ Posts and when I send this second correspondence email I found out I was blocked by Eric. Nice! Steal my ideas, try and cover up email (missed one! OOPS!) then block me! Google "Does No Evil!" Oh wait, Google is nothing more than an advertising agency pretending to be a tech company... I guess thats where we get the lies "Do no evil". Everyone knows advertising lies.
Amen!
Unfortunately any resistance is futile. I'm in the same boat.
tnsmani said:
All of them are self explanatory.
Game data: for games (whether you have them or not) so that your scores are uptodate.
Credentials state: for certificates in your device.
Google nearby: for maps and NFC
Location reporting and history: to keep your location details uptodate
Push subscriptions: to keep your push subscriptions uptodate (like mail Whatsapp etc)
People details: to keep your contacts list uptodate
I don't know why these are not obvious.
Regarding some of them automatically getting re-enabled, I don't have any such issues. If you continue to have these issues, you may have to use something like Myandroidtools or Disable Service etc to keep them under control.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This helped already a lot !!!
Can someone please additionally explain those. As I translated them ... please write the correct name too ....
- *reminders (which ? cant be calender reminders)
- *offline sync of login data
- *state of login data
Where do u see the hidden sync items ? I am unable to find them.
dhananjay123 said:
Where do u see the hidden sync items ? I am unable to find them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have enabled the option in Greenify, go to DEVICE>SETTINGS>ACCOUNTS>Google
can we disable/remove/delete them?
patrickdrd said:
can we disable/remove/delete them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can disable (although some reenable themselves)
how? my androidtools?
patrickdrd said:
how? my androidtools?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After enabling option in Greenify head to accounts in settings.
My son committed suicide in September and his phone was found near his body. He put a pin lock on his phone. I've tried two of the 5 times available to open the phone with no success. I stopped by a local phone service business who directed me to this site suggesting someone might be able to help.
Initially, I was desperate to open the phone thinking there might be a clue as to why he ended his own life. We had no idea he was considering such an act. Since then I've had second thoughts about trying to open his phone, yet, I can't help but wonder if he might have left a note on the phone.
The phone is a Samsung Galaxy S7.
I've just joined this group to see if someone can help. I look forward to hearing from you experts on the possibilities.
Hi , if it was adb enabled you can remove pin code by following this method .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swV-BUt8HQg
Opening PIN locked phone of deceased son
Thanks for the suggestion. I started to review the full video but confess that I stopped after it appeared to assume I could log into my son's "Gmail" account which I cannot do. I reached out to Goggle and of course the won't help me log into the account. They might provide me some of the content of his emails.
At this, I have no way of accessing any email accounts with either Samsung or Google's Gmail in order to help open up the phone.
Frankly, I'll know within minutes whether there is something he left for us, his parents. If it help make anyone comfortable in helping me I could provide my son's death certificate minus social security numbers and other security risk data. I doubt you it would be useful but it's a form of proof at least that I'm not trying to break into just anyone's phone.
davewts said:
Thanks for the suggestion. I started to review the full video but confess that I stopped after it appeared to assume I could log into my son's "Gmail" account which I cannot do. I reached out to Goggle and of course the won't help me log into the account. They might provide me some of the content of his emails.
At this, I have no way of accessing any email accounts with either Samsung or Google's Gmail in order to help open up the phone.
Frankly, I'll know within minutes whether there is something he left for us, his parents. If it help make anyone comfortable in helping me I could provide my son's death certificate minus social security numbers and other security risk data. I doubt you it would be useful but it's a form of proof at least that I'm not trying to break into just anyone's phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a way to remove Google Account by using twrp Recovery image for your device .
Search on the internet twrp recovery for your Model and instruction how to flash twrp recovery .
Once you install custom twrp recovery go to:
data/system/ and delete
Accounts.db
now reboot
You are done
twrp recovery question
If I go through the twrp process you describe will it leave the data that's on the phone intact? It would be nice if the phone still had access to the gmail account my son had. It sounds as if the process you recommend will disassociate the phone from his gmail account. Is that right.
Is this the only way to disable the pin lock which is all I want to do.
davewts said:
If I go through the twrp process you describe will it leave the data that's on the phone intact? It would be nice if the phone still had access to the gmail account my son had. It sounds as if the process you recommend will disassociate the phone from his gmail account. Is that right.
Is this the only way to disable the pin lock which is all I want to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you have for lockscreen , but if is also google account then delete file before that i send you .
https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software-hacking/remove-lockscreen-recovery-t3530008