Android Users Hit with ‘Undeletable’ Adware

[silversurfer]

Content source

https://threatpost.com/android-users-undeletable-adware/157189/

A healthy percentage of Android users targeted by mobile malware or mobile adware last year suffered a system partition infection, making the malicious files virtually undeletable.

That’s according to research from Kaspersky, which found that 14.8 percent of its users who suffered such attacks were left with undeletable files. These range from trojans that can install and run apps without the user’s knowledge, to less threatening, but nevertheless intrusive, advertising apps.

“A system partition infection entails a high level of risk for the users of infected devices, as a security solution cannot access the system directories, meaning it cannot remove the malicious files,” the firm explained, in a posting on Monday.

Moreover, research found that most devices harbor pre-installed default applications that are also undeletable – the number of those affected varies from 1 to 5 percent of users with low-cost devices, and reaches 27 percent in extreme cases.

“Infection can happen via two paths: The threat gains root access on a device and installs adware in the system partition, or the code for displaying ads gets into the firmware of the device before it even ends up in the hands of the consumer,” according to the firm.

In the latter scenario, this could lead to potentially undesired and unplanned consequences. For instance, many smartphones have functions providing remote access to the device. If abused, such a feature could lead to a data compromise of a user’s device.

 

[Vitali Ortzi]

You can just flush the image via booting into recovery or worst case using a PC .

 

[Brahman]

You can just flush the image via booting into recovery or worst case using a PC .

Moreover, research found that most devices harbor pre-installed default applications that are also undeletable – the number of those affected varies from 1 to 5 percent of users with low-cost devices, and reaches 27 percent in extreme cases.

If the adware comes preinstalled there is no use in re-imaging/resetting as the original image contains the adware.The way is to root it and install a custom OS or root it, find the adware files and delete it. .

 

[Vitali Ortzi]

If the adware comes preinstalled there is no use in re-imaging/resetting as the original image contains the adware.The way is to root it and install a custom OS or root it, fins the adware files and delete it. .

Yeah if you bought a phone from wish .
Anyway yeah with root access you can remove any adware/malware on system partition .

But malware can always hide elsewhere but very very very rarely it does so(APT).

 

[Brahman]

Yeah if you bought a phone from wish .
Anyway yeah with root access you can remove any adware/malware on system partition .

But malware can always hide elsewhere but very very very rarely it does so(APT).

Not only wish, but xiaomi, oppo, huawei and some models from Samsung do contains provisions to track you and carter you with in app ads without your permission. I consider this too as adware.

tracking.india.miui.com
data.mistat.india.xiaomi.com
sdkconfig.ad.intl.xiaomi.com
api.ad.intl.xiaomi.com

These are some tracking and ads providing address that is getting blocked frequently by nextdns in my poco.

 

[ForgottenSeer 85179]

Not only wish, but xiaomi, oppo, huawei and some models from Samsung do contains provisions to track you and carter you with in app ads without your permission. I consider this too as adware.

OnePlus too.

 

[Vitali Ortzi]

OnePlus too.

True .
But you have access to the bootloader from the manufacturer itself on xiaomi,one plus and some oppo phones.
Others require hacks to get the open source vanilla working or you can just debloat via adb / root and unroot/disable adb and have a vanilla like experience.

 

[Brahman]

True .
But you have access to the bootloader from the manufacturer itself on xiaomi,one plus and some oppo phones.
Others require hacks to get the open source vanilla working or you can just debloat via adb / root and unroot/disable adb and have a vanilla like experience.

Yes you can to some extent. In miui you can turn off all ads without rooting. The settings for that is hidden deep inside. For miui you can't completely debloat because ads are there in " security" app which if removed will cause bootloop. Rooting and using aosp is the best way to get rid off the tracking employed by these companies. I have always rooted my android phones ( lg p500, nexus 4, OnePlus one) but not my poco. I was a flashaholic once but lost interest in rooting and flashing. I think it happens with your age ...you get lazy...you just want a decent phone which is lagfree and do your daily chores. I may root my poco when Xiaomi ends official support. But till then I have decided to go with private dns ( Nextdns ) to block the tracking and ads.

 

[ForgottenSeer 85179]

Yes you can to some extent. In miui you can turn off all ads without rooting. The settings for that is hidden deep inside. For miui you can't completely debloat because ads are there in " security" app which if removed will cause bootloop. Rooting and using aosp is the best way to get rid off the tracking employed by these companies. I have always rooted my android phones ( lg p500, nexus 4, OnePlus one) but not my poco. I was a flashaholic once but lost interest in rooting and flashing. I think it happens with your age ...you get lazy...you just want a decent phone which is lagfree and do your daily chores. I may root my poco when Xiaomi ends official support. But till then I have decided to go with private dns ( Nextdns ) to block the tracking and ads.

It's known which phones are using ads and tracking on their phones so the user can research that before and just buy phone from company which don't do that or at least provide the option to flash clean Android with re-locking Bootloader support like Pixel phones.

It just doesn't make sense to root a phone because of ads, tracking. That's dangerous misinformation on nearly all flashing guides or community's like XDA.