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mox
Contributor III
Message 1 of 11

Malware keeps installing by itself

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McAfee constantly detects three apps that are being installed by itself. I always remove them, but still they keep installing every day.

I have HomTom HT16 Android 6 phone.

I am not sure if these apps are being installed by system firmware.

How to find out how there apps are installed, what program installed it?

How to solve this problem?

1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
mox
Contributor III
Message 11 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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Instead of fixing this problem, I decided to wipe original ROM and install custom ROM, which I managed sucessfully.

I think there isn't another solution.

View solution in original post

10 Replies
mox
Contributor III
Message 2 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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Can anyone answer?

mox
Contributor III
Message 3 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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Is this forum dead?
muthu_ganesh
McAfee Retired
McAfee Retired
Message 4 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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Hello  

Could you please give us the name of the apps? it will be helpful for us to identify. Also post back the version of McAfee Mobile Security &Android OS.

mox
Contributor III
Message 5 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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Names of three apps are: mexu, attps and Medias.

I have apk of Medias and I can upload, and a screenshot of detected malware.

I have McAfee latest version and Android 6.

mox
Contributor III
Message 6 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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I have all three APK's if I can upload it.

Former Member
Not applicable
Message 7 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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Can you trying going to "settings" on your phone and then "apps", try to permamently "disable" them? Please note, not all apps can be disabled. Is this a rooted phone? 

mox
Contributor III
Message 8 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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I can uninstall them, I do that everytime when McAfee notifies me about threat.

Phone is not rooted.

I want to find out whether these apps are installed by system OEM, or they are installed by some other app.

iridos
Contributor
Message 9 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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Oh, that's interesting, I have the same ones… at least attps and mexu coming back, also since about a week - and also on an Homtom HT16. I think that phone has some security hole that makes it easy for threats to enter. I had a similar problem with malware re-installing itself… which disappeared for about 2 months  (i.e. until recently) after I re-flashed the image. I think there is one hidden malware on the system partition that keeps installing those. I also haven't rooted the phone, so one has no chance to remove that root cause.

mox
Contributor III
Message 10 of 11

Re: Malware keeps installing by itself

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I was thinking about rooting phone, but I don't know how to do that, and even if I do that,  I don't know how to find the cause of malware.

I think HomTom delibaretly installed those apps in system firmware.

I have decompiled attps and I have find out that app is sending data to one advertising site.

I am not sure about the rest of apps, but it seems those apps are collecting data. 

It's a common problem for cheap Chinese phones. They are cheap because they sell your data.

I was thinking to install LineageOS, but it's a risky operation, because it doesn't support HomTom, but I have seen some users have managed to install it.

I was hoping McAfee can provide some permanent solution, but so far no answers.

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