Hey all,
I wanted to let everyone here know about an application I wrote a while back. I actually completely forgot about the application until earlier today when I flashed a new ROM onto my phone. I'm all about cyanogen which is why i never have to use this application but recently I wanted to try a Sense based ROM on my Evo 4G LTE. The issue i had was immediately after flashing the ROM (that will remain anonymous) none of my ads were working.
Long story short it's because of a modified hosts file in the OS (Which I had no idea would come with the ROM). Now, although this is an open source community, some people here prefer to block advertisements. I believe it is wrong and it completely goes against anything that we, as an open source community, stand for. It is ok and it is our choice to run these ad blocks or not but a lot of people must be using these ROMS with a modified hosts file without even knowing. What a lot of people don't realize is that the ads help keep things free. It helps pay for servers costs, etc.
I want to make something very clear. I do not have a problem with people blocking advertisements. I do have a problem with very popular ROM developers mass producing and giving other people roms that are pre packaged to block advertisements. They dont even inform the user that it will block ads. The fact that it is blocking advertisements is ok but the fact that it is blocking ads by default without checking that the user supports such a decision is wrong.
Anyways, I'm not here to preach, I am here to give people the option to remove these ad blockers.
If you want to support the open source community check out this very simple application called 'Ad Block Remover':
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.av1rus.adblockremover
This application allows you to make a copy of your current hosts file and also restore it if you have an issue.
If you make a copy you can search it to see if you have popular ad blocks like admob or adsense. If you do you can either remove only the lines you choose or you can return it back to stock where it will not block any advertisements.
Let me know what you guys think...
Also, you guys are free to use this application however you please. You can even use it to transfer a hosts file from one rom to another or restore a hosts file to block advertisements.
Lastly, let me clarify one more time. I really do not care who blocks the ads... Just give an option.
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Related
Recently, I found that the "Android System Info" app below is using Flurry Agent to send data / report via 3G/internet whenever I start using it. At least, it came out in the logging.
Do you know any alternative that does not use Flurry Agent?
I hate that thing because it uses 3G/internet and it cannot be disabled
I know Astrid is using Flurry Agent as well, but it can be disabled.
Android System Info
by ElectricSheep
>250,000 downloads, 15332 ratings (4.5 avg)
Free
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i believe that is for the download of the ADs to sustain their income & development
use Adfree perhpas?
Well, I think that is not ads ... Ads should be the AdMob SDK or something in the logging.
Flurry Agent is about analytic:
http://www.flurry.com/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=673146
To be honest, I don't mind with ads ... Especially if that can support the dev and the app is good.
But, I don't like sending usage pattern, statistical data, usage analysis, that kind of things.
AllGamer said:
i believe that is for the download of the ADs to sustain their income & development
use Adfree perhpas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many devs find analytics to be important information to them.
You could edit your hosts file manually to block any flurry.com urls...
Not rooted, you cant do that.
Good developer will add an option to disable this, like Astrid.
distortedloop said:
Many devs find analytics to be important information to them.
You could edit your hosts file manually to block any flurry.com urls...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gogol said:
Not rooted, you cant do that.
Good developer will add an option to disable this, like Astrid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your last sentence doesn't quite sit right for some reason, but I agree overall.
Something in the back of my mind tells me there's a revenue stream to the developers who include this. Like flurry pays them a royalty for data collected. That needs confirmation, but while many devs put stuff out for the love of the device, many more need to get some income off the app to stay interested in developing/maintaining it. We all want "free" apps, but we're going to have to get used to either paying up in cash, or paying up in seeing ads, or paying up by having some analytics collected on us.
I don't want my phone spied on either. Best thing you can do is uninstall the apps that spy on you without the feature to turn it off, give the app a 1-star rating on the market, and leave a comment that it collects analytics on you and you don't like that. Kind of lousy thing to do an app that's otherwise top-notch. If enough people uninstall and bad rate these apps, the devs will get the hint and stop doing it.
As for not rooted, there's no reason not to root the Nexus S. There are hundreds of reason to root, though. Blocking ads and spyware is just one of them.
You don't even have to unlock the bootloader to do it, easy instructions here; no loss of data with that method.
Yesterday I spent some time after downloading an empty theme template .zip off dev-host going over the dev-host connections and the malware that lurks right next to the button you need to push to download something.
I tested this on multiple networks and different operating systems and essentially it was a module watcher that caught it. Then I did a run down through PFSense firewall seeing what it was trying to do. This is not localized to one server as far as I can tell since I tested on several different server ip addresses and all did the same thing. So I guess this is a notice to the community and to dev-host who I imagine doesn't know several of there servers have been attacked with malware resulting in a phishing attack url attacged to a local button.
I could show you all the nitty-gritty firewall details and how the phising attack works but yeah thats to much time I'll just show you what button NOT to push on dev-host:
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Clicking the orange download button results in an instant phishing attack. For those of you who dont know what a phising attack is let me explain:
Essentially it's a way of tricking you into thinking your browser is going somewhere its not. Which can result in many things ie: theft of data/malware/viruses/network attacks/trojan droppers and many many other nasty's most people really hate. I have tested where it goes and its completely random and its not this specific zip or this specific page its just the first one I tested it on. So one or more of the dev-hosts servers are infected. PFSense has blocked the crap out of it every time along with module watchers and even some very low lvl malware software may block it. Figured I'd share this information.
Oh and Id also like to say I use every adblocker and adblocker+ and several other ad blocking extensions and the button you need to click is right below it. So its definitely something to keep an eye out for. I'm usually very careful about what button I click. So I usually never even run into these situations but yeah. Figured I'd share to the community and to Dev-host
Hi community.
Just stopping by to inform you, that the app/tool personalHTTPproxy has a new home.
New releases will come soon.
What is personalHTTPproxy?
It is a tool for Java enabled devices and an Android app that can filter all your HTTP traffic to block ads - no root needed.
The app/tool is open source software and is free of charge. No paid extended or premium version.
Check out
http://personalHTTPproxy.org
for more info...
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Kind regards
t-ryder
Downloaded, now i'm testing it, thank you
Inviato dal mio Nexus 4 con Tapatalk 2
Adblocking runs good for any Browser used on Android, but we are facing problems when it comes to block ads in apps.
This is caused by ads that just bypass the HTTP(s) proxy to download the ads from Google AdMob and other Google ad services.
There are apps (and this is as it's oughta be) that respect the proxy settings and the ad filtering is done right.
And there are apps that just ignore the proxy settings to fetch the ads from various hosts.
Without a VPN, a real global proxy (root) or messing with iptables on a rooted phone or the hosts file itself (using another app) those ads can not be blocked.
Nice app , will try it
I will give this application a try, thank you for throwing this information out here on the world wide web!
Hey.
Ingo Zenz got some new stuff!
Check out personalDNSfilter. Works even better than personalHTTPproxy - no root, VPN, blocks ads in apps and browsers ... system-wide!
http://zenz-solutions.de/personaldnsfilter/
How can I add new hosts in personal dns filter?
I tried to go to hosts-file.net but I don't understand what I have to do and what I have to download.
Mattiapk said:
How can I add new hosts in personal dns filter?
I tried to go to hosts-file.net but I don't understand what I have to do and what I have to download.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sir, sorry for the late reply.
For further requests please see this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/app-personaldnsfilter-block-malware-t3567898
And please update to the latest version of pDNSf.
for support and manual usage, please join our group on TG
https://telegram.me/pdnsf
I bought 2 Chinese smartphones: One is from a company called "Doogee", and the second is called "BlackView"
The Doogee one came with many weird apps preinstalled, so I installed Malwarebytes, and it detected 2 malwares. Both removed. After a day, Malwarebytes prompted me that a malware app is trying to install itself (one of those I removed!) - So I stopped using this phone. Hopefully did not risk too much of my personal information (passwords, emails, etc).
Meanwhile, the other Chinese phone I ordered has arrived. Knowing about those security issues now, I immediately installed Malwarebytes, and it detected that the Sound Recorder app is a malware, and is actually using data(?):
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T
@TroyGuard I would recommend to search for a custom rom build from source to get rid of that stock spy roms :good:
@TroyGuard
personally I wouldn't use them but as you have bought phones you probably want to.
Though on twitter recently Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y was asking for such phones to analyse, he'd probably be happy to get one!
So If no custom ROM then you should be able to freeze those apps, system or preinstalled, that are risky or unknown (though they often come back, so freeze normally better). If you read the recent threads you will find links to a number of ways to do this, eg using TWRP, ADB, apps like Debloater etc which may work on those phones
WARNING: be careful freezing system apps, freezing an essential app can make your phone unusable, check online first if in doubt
Change all your passwords after this is done, to be safe.
(though there is still the possibility of a hardware backdoor , but I've not seen any reports of this.)
(Note: you probably won't get automatic OTA updates anymore as the ota updater is often part of the problem, besides you would have to refreeze apps after new install, but might be worth updating manually if it gives you important security patches)
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AdZHosts
This HOSTS file is available on all operating systems. It has been used worldwide since 2009. It has already proven itself and is used as a source by many other projects. It is even by default in Blokada.
Its goal is to offer you a very precise and effective advertising block. Plus it helps preserve your privacy by blocking spy trackers and unhealthy addresses. It's all in one.
Website | Telegram | XDA-Labs
In addition to offering a HOSTS file for your Android, Windows, MAC and Linux, AdZHosts also comes in pre-settings for your browser extensions. NandoAdblocker and uBlolck.
There are also presets for AdGuard and DNS66 extensions.
Blokada already offering AdZHosts by default.
Very good. ?
Hi! May I use your work for add it into keweonDNS?
working good with adaway+adzhost+magisk adsblock.
AdZHosts is down I'm sad.
Yeah, their main site says they are shutting down did anyone by chance make a backup of their android-hosts.txt? PM or post it. I would really appreciate it.
update: Energized Basic is identical
update 2: Energized is blocking my cable company login on ther History APP, when I disable blokada, I'm logged in, when I enable blockada, I'm logged out. Adzhosts seemed to have a fine balance. Anyone have a backup list?
update 3: whitelisting sp.auth.adobe.com getting some success
kodiportalgabe said:
Yeah, their main site says they are shutting down did anyone by chance make a backup of their android-hosts.txt? PM or post it. I would really appreciate it.
update: Energized Basic is identical
update 2: Energized is blocking my cable company login on ther History APP, when I disable blokada, I'm logged in, when I enable blockada, I'm logged out. Adzhosts seemed to have a fine balance. Anyone have a backup list?
update 3: whitelisting sp.auth.adobe.com getting some success
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can ask the dev on telegram from energized