Scraping shit off an Android phone?

Post Reply
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 56735
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 10:43 pm
Location: DTManistan
Contact:

Post by GORDON »

Somehow my Android got infected with some sort of browser adbot. While randomly surfing I get redirected to ad pages, I haven't figured out a pattern, yet. No, I don't surf porn (on my phone), so I don't know if i got it from a malicious hotspot (I first saw it in the Ford dealership waiting room yesterday when I connected to their wifi), or some script got ran in a malicious banner ad (can you even install adblocker on a phone? I don't know), or what.

Anyway, what can I do about it? Today I surfed until an ad page redirect, and went into "Running Applications" and didn't see anything that looked obviously malicious, so I didn't see anything I could uninstall. Scratch/reload Chrome? Scratch/reload the entire phone? I don't know how to tech support a phone.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
TPRJones
Posts: 13418
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 2:05 pm
Location: Houston
Contact:

Post by TPRJones »

All I can recommend is:

1) Factory reset the whole thing, and

2) Stop connecting to wifi you don't control or completely trust those who do.
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70451
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

You could have also got it from the Google store. There's a bunch of viruses and malware in there.

I'd agree with TPR. DL all your pics and vids and then reset the phone to factory defaults. This won't be a time consuming task if your phone is light on apps.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

Root it and clean it.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 56735
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 10:43 pm
Location: DTManistan
Contact:

Post by GORDON »

Is factory reset in a setting somewhere, or do I need to open the case and press a button with a paperclip?
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

Should be in your settings/config.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
TPRJones
Posts: 13418
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 2:05 pm
Location: Houston
Contact:

Post by TPRJones »

Either that or some sort of hold this button for this long then press these other buttons in a certain order.

What's the model?




Edited By TPRJones on 1440977894
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
TheCatt
Site Admin
Posts: 57665
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 11:15 pm
Location: Cary, NC

Post by TheCatt »

It's not me, it's someone else.
Post Reply