Database Info

Be Aware of the Scam

Started getting this while browsing the web on my pixel. I just contacted Google support who said it's not from them. It's just an ad wanting you to download their anti-virus app. Can't wait to root my phone so I can put an ad blocker back on.

There's BILLIONS of similar scams around to that. The obvious giveaway (I mean besides how obviously fraudulent it is), is the grammar.
You can also recognize it based on the fact that the DOMAIN NAME is some kind of nonsense. Anybody can add whatever subdomain they want to any domain they have control over. For instance, if you own the domain name "stupidscammers.com", you can create a layer of subdomains that look like "www.google.com.google-security.this.is.really.google.i.really.promise.stupidscammers.com"
The only part of that that might be *slightly* convincing for an ABSOLUTE NOOB, is that it was able to identify your operating system as "Android" -- well, that is obtained from an identifier string that your web browser sends out to web servers so that the web servers can generate appropriate content that is compatible with your device. It is called the User-Agent, and it does not contain any identifying details. It just tells the server what KIND of web browser you have.
You should NOT have wasted google's time asking them about obvious scam being obvious, and frankly, it is a waste of time to create a thread about it. Before anybody ever uses the internet, they should already be aware of (and be on the lookout) for this kind of scam. And this was a very UNCONVINCING scam, made by obvious amateurs.

Droid1019 said:
Started getting this while browsing the web on my pixel. I just contacted Google support who said it's not from them. It's just an ad wanting you to download their anti-virus app. Can't wait to root my phone so I can put an ad blocker back on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are apps that are available without rooting your phone. SEVENAdclear or Adguard will work without rooting your phone.

blanco82 said:
There are apps that are available without rooting your phone. SEVENAdclear or Adguard will work without rooting your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you used either of these in Chrome on the Pixel?

If you fall for this I have some magic beans for sale

lol, these things have been around for years, dude

mymusicathome said:
If you fall for this I have some magic beans for sale
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do they give me magic gas?

I've been using Brave Browser for over a month and love it. Just like Chrome (Chromium based) but no ads. No root needed.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Definitely a scam. I've seen it in hijack style redirects

Yea this is nothing new. Completely normal when looking at porn

Samsung Note 9: Battery question

Hello everyone,
I'm new here so not sure did I hit the right section (sorry if its wrong).
By the normal use my battery last around 24hr but recently I had some issues with the battery drainage so to speak in like 2-3 hr it would just dry out and I have to recharge.
That lasted for like a week and then suddenly it stopped and it return to normal lasting 24hr on a full charge.
My question is was that a fluke or should I replace the battery?
Thanks,
Sam

Batteries don't die and get resurrected.
An apk(s) was the cause.
If it happens again track down the offender(s).

blackhawk said:
Batteries don't die and get resurrected.
An apk(s) was the cause.
If it happens again track down the offender(s).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi blackhawk, thank you for the replay I was tracking with Advanced task manager app and all the apps that run right now they are aps that run on my phone regularly. There was no changes (I didn't install/remove any app in few months). That is the reason for my odd question so to speak.

samcoon62 said:
Hi blackhawk, thank you for the replay I was tracking with Advanced task manager app and all the apps that run right now they are aps that run on my phone regularly. There was no changes (I didn't install/remove any app in few months). That is the reason for my odd question so to speak.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using Galaxy Labs Battery Tracker.
Sometimes Google apks will show battery usage as other Google or Android apks because of related dependencies even if the apk is disabled.
Google Backup Transport, Framework and Google Play Services are prime suspects. Clearing the data of these apks will many times stop excess battery usage. Gmaps is another one that will run in the background. Brave browser too.
Close apps when done with them especially before you go to bed.
Wifi if enable as well. Something did it...
Karma Firewall is very useful in spotting troublemakers and for locking down those apks.
It's freeware, ad free and uses almost no battery.
Has logging that makes seeing excessive internet usage easy.
Works best with Pie or early OSs.

blackhawk said:
Try using Galaxy Labs Battery Tracker.
Sometimes Google apks will show battery usage as other Google or Android apks because of related dependencies even if the apk is disabled.
Google Backup Transport, Framework and Google Play Services are prime suspects. Clearing the data of these apks will many times stop excess battery usage. Gmaps is another one that will run in the background. Brave browser too.
Close apps when done with them especially before you go to bed.
Wifi if enable as well. Something did it...
Karma Firewall is very useful in spotting troublemakers and for locking down those apks.
It's freeware, ad free and uses almost no battery.
Has logging that makes seeing excessive internet usage easy.
Works best with Pie or early OSs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the late replay, wow so much information's thank you so much blackhawk I will setup Galaxy Labs Battery Tracker and Karma.
My wifi is always on and always connected to home or office wife (mostly home nowadays as the corona forced us all to work from home if we can.
I appropriate your help so much was going crazy over here lol

Sammy's can be quit the pain. If you're running Pie or below you have far more tools to track down the offenders. Running Apps/cache in Developer options and cache apps in Samsung Device Care are two I use.
This package blocker is another favorite I always use. It can completely clear app caches leaving no nulls that "clearing" them in app settings sometimes leaves. Incomplete clearing means the problem can persist. It's a great troubleshooting and debloating tool if you use it wisely. Has a widget that allows you to toggle selected apks on/off too.
Home - Package Disabler
The only NON-root solution that let’s you disable any unwanted packages that come pre-installed / installed with your phone / tablet.
www.packagedisabler.com

I get you what you are saying but it's a bit uncharted waters for me. lol
As I'm use to computers wracking them up and setting them back up for last 30+ years (professionally). I was always repulsive toward mobile phones. As I like my privacy, piece will working, and when I go somwere no one to disturb me and know were exactly I'm lol.
When they first came out I didn't want to get one until 2004 and then I got my first one Nokia 3310 that is still working (just who knows how many batteries did I change), 2nd one was Note4 in 2016 (also still works and looks like new) and now Note9.
Android phones I got just for viber (registration mostly as i more use it on PC) and banking (from time to tiem) calling and rarely sending sms. Other than that I don't use phone much as I prefer to shoot pictures with my Sony Camera and to do everything else on my PC.
Because of that there was no much interest and room for a phone so I didnt play with developers modes and wracking phones up like I do with PC's lol.
PS: Only reason I'm into Notes is the pen (don't ask me why, I have no idea) lol

samcoon62 said:
I get you what you are saying but it's a bit uncharted waters for me. lol
As I'm use to computers wracking them up and setting them back up for last 30+ years (professionally). I was always repulsive toward mobile phones. As I like my privacy, piece will working, and when I go somwere no one to disturb me and know were exactly I'm lol.
When they first came out I didn't want to get one until 2004 and then I got my first one Nokia 3310 that is still working (just who knows how many batteries did I change), 2nd one was Note4 in 2016 (also still works and looks like new) and now Note9.
Android phones I got just for viber (registration mostly as i more use it on PC) and banking (from time to tiem) calling and rarely sending sms. Other than that I don't use phone much as I prefer to shoot pictures with my Sony Camera and to do everything else on my PC.
Because of that there was no much interest and room for a phone so I didnt play with developers modes and wracking phones up like I do with PC's lol.
PS: Only reason I'm into Notes is the pen (don't ask me why, I have no idea) lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use my 10+ like a PC. I rarely use my laptop and keep it completely off the internet.
The SD card is the data drive on my 10+. I can do a full reload from it with little or no internet; all critical data is store there including copies of all my apps. I load directly from the SD card, no Playstore needed. A full restore takes me about 2 hours now. The SD card is also backed up to 2 hdds just in case. Develope a complete restore plan for a forced reload. After that a reload is no issue.
They are very rare but they can happen especially if you run into a virus.
The only things I keep on the internal memory are the working apps, DCIM (with frequent backups to the SD card) and the download folder until the files can be vetted.
Androids are fun to play with. With a none rooted phone it's pretty hard to crash them. Lol, I've crashed and burned about 50 Window's loads playing in the Registry over the years. Cloned OS copies made that pretty painless.
I play with the 10+ a lot. It's a surprisingly stable and fast platform.
Lots of really good apps for it too. Most are free.
The 10+ replaced my TV as did the PC over 15 years ago. Pretty cool.
Gene Roddenberry would have gone nuts holding a 10+ in his hands. More than even he could have imagined.

Security updates on older phones

My wife and I have have an s8 and a Note 8. We love our phones, and we don't really like the new phones. However, Samsung has decided to end security updates this year on these models.
Are there other alternative ways to get security updates, so our data is not at risk?

If you're running on Pie I wouldn't worry.
My Note 10+ has had any updates in over a year.
No issues. I've run outdated Androids for years with no malware forced reloads.
React quickly though to any suspected malware; if you can't delete it, factory reset.
Be ready to reload at anytime as you should be anyway. Keep at least 2 redundant copies of all critical data on at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other.
Most malware infections are the result of the user doing something they shouldn't do.
Just watch what you download (check the download folder regularly), be careful what you install, and use a cloud app like gmail for email.
Keep trash apps like FB, WhatsApp etc off the phone. Use Brave browser and install Karma Firewall (freeware with almost no battery usage).
I avoid using wifi always. There's also a long standing bluetooth hacking vulnerability in pre Q OSs... be aware of that.
Pre Pie OS's are suspectable to rootkits that require a reflash to exterminate.
Scan with Malwarebytes every week or so; it picked off 2 nasty trojan preloaders for me before they could be activated about a year ago.
Use online Virustotal to scan any apk or file you're not sure about.

blackhawk said:
If you're running on Pie I wouldn't worry.
My Note 10+ has had any updates in over a year.
No issues. I've run outdated Androids for years with no malware forced reloads.
React quickly though to any suspected malware; if you can't delete it, factory reset.
Be ready to reload at anytime as you should be anyway. Keep at least 2 redundant copies of all critical data on at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other.
Most malware infections are the result of the user doing something they shouldn't do.
Just watch what you download (check the download folder regularly), be careful what you install, and use a cloud app like gmail for email.
Keep trash apps like FB, WhatsApp etc off the phone. Use Brave browser and install Karma Firewall (freeware with almost no battery usage).
I avoid using wifi always. There's also a long standing bluetooth hacking vulnerability in pre Q OSs... be aware of that.
Pre Pie OS's are suspectable to rootkits that require a reflash to exterminate.
Scan with Malwarebytes every week or so; it picked off 2 nasty trojan preloaders for me before they could be activated about a year ago.
Use online Virustotal to scan any apk or file you're not sure about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you must have a wife who understands that. Trying to tell my wife not to click something because it is probably a virus is like telling a 3 year old they can't have the adult red juice.
Basically, what this is though, is confirming that at min. We need a phone for the wife, for the aforementioned reasons.

JackWorthing said:
So, you must have a wife who understands that. Trying to tell my wife not to click something because it is probably a virus is like telling a 3 year old they can't have the adult red juice.
Basically, what this is though, is confirming that at min. We need a phone for the wife, for the aforementioned reasons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was fortunate and didn't marry or unfortunate
She doing what old people do... threatened her with an iphone
That trojan preloader was a tricky little devil and manage to download it's self without a download notification. You really need to be alert.
Teach her to close that browser page rather than click the mystery box. Occasionally I even close the browser and clear the cache if it's really invasive. Rarely anything more than that; it doesn't seem to happen on Brave, more on the Samsung browser on iffy sites. If I can learn to navigate in the gutter, she can too.
You can do is look at her phone at the end of the day. Maybe get the paid version of Malwarebytes. Unfortunately it won't stop everything.
I have no recommendations as I think Android is in a flat spin, Android 11 is just wretched. Even if you get a phone running on 10 it will soon be updated to 11... unless you disable updates.
10 would be more secure but overlay apps don't run on it and it guts Karma Firewall.

JackWorthing said:
So, you must have a wife who understands that. Trying to tell my wife not to click something because it is probably a virus is like telling a 3 year old they can't have the adult red juice.
Basically, what this is though, is confirming that at min. We need a phone for the wife, for the aforementioned reasons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download this app and tell her to scan your device regularly with this antivirus. It's the best one I found on playstore. It also scans for any harmful files : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...BMA16BAgfEAE&usg=AOvVaw2ovEreBbhkoaiQCAgeyV81
And you too do the scams !!!!!

Arc android said:
Download this app and tell her to scan your device regularly with this antivirus. It's the best one I found on playstore. It also scans for any harmful files : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.protectstar.antispy&hl=en_US&gl=US&referrer=utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_term%3Dprotectstar&pcampaignid=APPU_1_OxGrYNnyOsfd9QOVxI-IBw&ved=2ahUKEwiZ_OS9pOHwAhXHbn0KHRXiA3EQ8oQBMA16BAgfEAE&usg=AOvVaw2ovEreBbhkoaiQCAgeyV81
And you too do the scams !!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There will always be new threats without definitions. It may help but the phone's user is the #1 security threat.
I don't even let Malwarebytes run in the background because all those apps eat battery with little to show for it. Android is relatively secure, even outdated versions unless you do...

blackhawk said:
There will always be new threats without definitions. It may help but the phone's user is the #1 security threat.
I don't even let Malwarebytes run in the background because all those apps eat battery with little to show for it. Android is relatively secure, even outdated versions unless you do...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you are right actually.

Question I possibly have a virus. Need some feedback

I've got an A32 5G that functionally performs ok. it's had some slow loading pages recently and some YouTube videos buffering, which I attributed to the recent system updates as well as the move to 5g in my area. I still think these are the likely sources of my lower performance, but. . ... I went to grc.com and ran their Shields Up test the other day, probing all common ports. my results came back that I have a port 179 open about 95% of the time (meaning I've ran the test quite a few times since then, only a few of those times it showed stealth). appx. 10% of the time I ran the test, it showed port 1, and port 1&2 closed, but not stealthed. the other test results showed them to be stealthed.
prior to now, and when having my friends run the tests on their phones, my former and everyone else's current results were 100% stealthed.
my questions -
1. can a few of you with the same phone as me run the same tests and see what your results are. (it's at grc.com, then Shields Up, then Shields Up, then proceed, then All Service Ports)
2. short of resetting the phone, how do I find out the source or cause of this port being open? (I've done a lot so far, none of which has helped, so I won't bore anyone just yet)
3. is there a better section to post this in?

See if you can ID the app using it with a firewall.
If running on Pie or below Karma Firewall will detect apps accessing the internet.
If you can't ID and eliminate it, factory reset.
You are what you install and download, exercise caution.
This is what I get when I run that check:

the only apps on my phone are Firefox & Brave browsers, CX File Explorer, File Viewer, New Pipe, SMS Backup & Restore, and a few games from Yiotro.
never been on Facebook, nor any other social media

blackhawk said:
See if you can ID the app using it with a firewall.
If running on Pie or below Karma Firewall will detect apps accessing the internet.
If you can't ID and eliminate it, factory reset.
You are what you install and download, exercise caution.
This is what I get when I run that check:
View attachment 5648189
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the test I was referring to was this one
and I'm on Android 12. the firewall approach is null with that?

mr_horsepower said:
the test I was referring to was this one
and I'm on Android 12. the firewall approach is null with that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, I scanned that exe with Virustotal and while most might trust it... I don't!
Android 12 will gut firewall apps not designed to run on it. Even 10 does this.
A big reason I still run on Pie; functionality for trusted apps.
Nuke it if there's any doubt. Change Google account password, check if its been breached.
Likely something you installed...

blackhawk said:
Lol, I scanned that exe with Virustotal and while most might trust it... I don't!
Android 12 will gut firewall apps not designed to run on it. Even 10 does this.
A big reason I still run on Pie; functionality for trusted apps.
Nuke it if there's any doubt. Change Google account password, check if its been breached.
Likely something you installed...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you keep your system from updating?
mine is set to only do it over wifi, and I never use wifi (literally never) and eventually it gives in I guess and downloads it over my data connection. I've got auto updates on the play store turned off and I've never had anything update without my choosing to, again, thru just the play store.
I'm fairly certain that Steve Gibson, the guy that runs the Security Now site and podcast is a 100% safe environment.
*I also realize my recommendations on what's safe and what's not mean nothing, especially given the thread I just started, lol.

mr_horsepower said:
how do you keep your system from updating?
mine is set to only do it over wifi, and I never use wifi (literally never) and eventually it gives in I guess and downloads it over my data connection. I've got auto updates on the play store turned off and I've never had anything update without my choosing to, again, thru just the play store.
I'm fairly certain that Steve Gibson, the guy that runs the Security Now site and podcast is a 100% safe environment.
*I also realize my recommendations on what's safe and what's not mean nothing, especially given the thread I just started, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use a package disabler to block OTA updates.
A nasty little app...
I think his site's probably ok, but caution is best when in doubt. My current load is over 2 yo and runs very well.

I've just spent the past 5 hours doing a full restore on my phone. I just ran the scan again and I got the same effing results. will someone please, for the love of all that is good in this world, pretty friggin please, run that scan and see if they get the same port open? please.

you don't even have to do the whole scan, which takes all of 30 seconds. just type 179 in the box and hit enter. it will open open to another page and you hit the 'probe this port' button. it's Steve Gibsons website. it's safe. he's one of the grandfathers of internet security.

Lol, doesn't sound that safe judging by your results. You should have loaded just that app and scanned. May be a false result.
No known rootkit can survive a factory reset on Android 9 and up. So either it's a normal result, glitch or you reloaded the malware... probably one of the games.
Install Karma Firewall (it may not install on 12), one by one block 3rd party apps and so on, then scan until you find it.
Or factory reset again and run the scan... first.

blackhawk said:
Lol, doesn't sound that safe judging by your results. You should have loaded just that app and scanned. May be a false result.
No known rootkit can survive a factory reset on Android 9 and up. So either it's a normal result, glitch or you reloaded the malware... probably one of the games.
Install Karma Firewall (it may not install on 12), one by one block 3rd party apps and so on, then scan until you find it.
Or factory reset again and run the scan... first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
didn't reload the games (they're zero permission games from an awesome source though). I did a reinstall of DDG browser, File Viewer, SMS Backup & Restore, and Textra. I went through all my permissions and deleted all the b.s. bloatware, fired up the browser and went and ran the test. same results. I've ran the test a bunch over the years, first time with that result ever a few days ago.
I'm going to order a new phone tomorrow. if I'm lucky, it'll be in in time for me to blow this thing up on the 4th.
*I also ran the test at a few other port scanners prior to the reset. one of 3 didn't show the port open, the others did. I haven't rechecked it at those places after the fact
*it doesn't sound like you're familiar with Steve Gibson or his work. it'd be worth poking around his website a little. also listening to or reading transcripts of his weekly podcast he's done for years. that website is as pure as the driven snow.

blackhawk said:
Lol, doesn't sound that safe judging by your results. You should have loaded just that app and scanned. May be a false result.
No known rootkit can survive a factory reset on Android 9 and up. So either it's a normal result, glitch or you reloaded the malware... probably one of the games.
Install Karma Firewall (it may not install on 12), one by one block 3rd party apps and so on, then scan until you find it.
Or factory reset again and run the scan... first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and to clarify, it's not an app. you go there with your browser and click on a button. it's just a web page, it's just a button. you don't even need Javascript to be on at his website.
*and while I appreciate your offering up that .apk, I'm not in the habit of sideloading apps from a barely known source. that's a small example of what makes this problem I'm having so perplexing.

mr_horsepower said:
and to clarify, it's not an app. you go there with your browser and click on a button. it's just a web page, it's just a button. you don't even need Javascript to be on at his website.
*and while I appreciate your offering up that .apk, I'm not in the habit of sideloading apps from a barely known source. that's a small example of what makes this problem I'm having so perplexing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Won't run in my browser. Tried disabling a few things that might have blocked it, no go.
My current setup hasn't had any malware issues, has been fast and stable for over 2 years so I'm not playing with it further than this for no good reason.
I don't have in depth knowledge of these protocols. Been a long while since I setup a router. Meh, although I'm curious about this... but it's your rabbit hole to chase down. It's a pretty deep hole.
Karma Firewall been updated.
NetGuard is fully functional on 12, root not needed. I haven't played with this yet.
Install a firewall and see if you can spot it...

if you went there, and proceeded like this, with or without Javascript on (my default everywhere is its off unless I decide to give sites that liberty), I can't see how in the world it's not running. I appreciate your time regardless.

A link be nice...
Here's would I got on my N10+/Pie:

blackhawk said:
A link be nice...
Here's would I got on my N10+/Pie:
View attachment 5648803
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's the unplug and pray test. I can't provide a link to anything (try anything you would be able to create a link from at a typical site and you'll see it doesn't work there) but the main page because of the way his site is set up. here's hopefully a better picture of what you are pressing, and what to choose instead.
*check your link, which doesn't go where you think it does, and he explains why not.

Question How to find out what app(s) are trying to connect to two malicious sites?

Spoiler: Warning - don't visit these two sites:
Code:
www.vu239trk.com
int.vaicore.store
Trend Micro says both of these sites are malicious.
Full story - I recently changed router brands. Our new routers have the ability to block malicious sites that are trying to be accessed. Thankfully, this isn't happening on my rooted phone - it's happening on my wife's Pixel 7 Pro which is unlockable but is locked. The same was the case a week and a half ago with her Pixel 6 Pro. Problem is, that my wife has no idea which of her apps - I'm guessing a game, but who knows - would be accessing those. I've tried to pin them down according to what time the router blocked access, but it hasn't helped.
The router has blocked access to those sites from her phone(s) a total of seven times between October 5th and the 19th:
10/5 - vu
10/9 - vu
10/12 - vaicore
10/14 - vu
10/15 - vu
10/16 - vu
10/19 - vu
So it's not every day, and not repeatedly on the same day. I've let her know each time the router notifies me, but nothing has come to mind for her, so I don't know if it's happening in the background or when she's actively using an app.
I've tried some simple Google-fu for this question, or specifically regarding these sites without any promising help.
Does anyone have any suggestions for how to find out what apps are accessing them? I'm aware of solutions like NetGuard - no-root firewall to whitelist/blacklist internet access - however, my wife is non-technical - I don't root her phones anymore as she's not interested in the benefits and it's less work for me, and no chance for me to mess up her configuration. Also, we both suspect that it's one of her games that is trying to access those sites, and those games might already require internet access for them to work, so I'm more interested in tracking down which without a process of elimination. She's also not methodical like I am, at least for technical things.
I could probably dump a list of her apps to at least get some ideas. All her apps came from the Play Store and were just restored from there during our recent transition to the Pixel 7 Pro, so whatever it is, Google hasn't caught it yet. She doesn't use any special web browsers, just Chrome, and she doesn't do anything techie or hacky.
Also trying to avoid both a factory reset and not using Google's cloud backup. She forgets her passwords constantly so fresh setups always cause high anxiety for her, and therefore for me too.

After you install an app block all updates. A common ploy is the app is clean but after it is installed it will download it's malicious payload.
Keep all social media and shopping apps off the phone. They are malware.
If an app doesn't need internet access to function it should be firewall blocked. Few app need internet access. Find the malware or factory reset and reset passwords. I give myself 2 hours before I nuke it. That should be enough time to find/fix minor malware issues.
Full scan with Malwarebytes. Pay close attention to the download folder and any apps that run at startup. Scan suspects with online Virustotal.
Try in safe mode, see if it stops.
It maybe a false alert... otherwise uninstall or package block installed apps one by one until you nail it. If it's a virus or rootkit that won't stop it though. Hopefully it's just a rogue app that didn't download a rootkit payload...

blackhawk said:
After you install an app block all updates. A common ploy is the app is clean but after it is installed it will download it's malicious payload.
Keep all social media and shopping apps off the phone. They are malware.
If an app doesn't need internet access to function it should be firewall blocked. Few app need internet access. Find the malware or factory reset and reset passwords. I give myself 2 hours before I nuke it. That should be enough time to find/fix minor malware issues.
Full scan with Malwarebytes. Pay close attention to the download folder and any apps that run at startup. Scan suspects with online Virustotal.
Try in safe mode, see if it stops.
It maybe a false alert... otherwise uninstall or package block installed apps one by one until you nail it. If it's a virus or rootkit that won't stop it though. Hopefully it's just a rogue app that didn't download a rootkit payload...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never once had a problem with any of this stuff... I think the malware problem is hugely overblown. I just don't download random obscure apps and never had an issue.

Trend Micro is often overzealous. I have disabled that crap on my ASUS router.
They both seem to be marketing and tracking sites. The vaicore one apparently was even being triggered by the Audible app at one point.
https://www.reddit.com/r/audible/comments/ttakhs
You could try DuckDuckGo's tracking protection to figure out which app is doing it.
Introducing DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection for Android
Join the waitlist to try App Tracking Protection for Android today!
spreadprivacy.com

blackhawk said:
After you install an app block all updates. A common ploy is the app is clean but after it is installed it will download it's malicious payload.
Keep all social media and shopping apps off the phone. They are malware.
If an app doesn't need internet access to function it should be firewall blocked. Few app need internet access. Find the malware or factory reset and reset passwords. I give myself 2 hours before I nuke it. That should be enough time to find/fix minor malware issues.
Full scan with Malwarebytes. Pay close attention to the download folder and any apps that run at startup. Scan suspects with online Virustotal.
Try in safe mode, see if it stops.
It maybe a false alert... otherwise uninstall or package block installed apps one by one until you nail it. If it's a virus or rootkit that won't stop it though. Hopefully it's just a rogue app that didn't download a rootkit payload...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since this is my wife's phone, not mine, I'm not willing to micro-manage to try to find the culprit. It would only cause her stress and because of that, ultimately more stress for me.
EtherealRemnant said:
Trend Micro is often overzealous. I have disabled that crap on my ASUS router.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll certainly keep an eye on what it reports, but since so far it's only reported things from my wife's phone and not my own or any of our computers, I'm going to keep being curious about what exactly is triggering it.
EtherealRemnant said:
They both seem to be marketing and tracking sites. The vaicore one apparently was even being triggered by the Audible app at one point.
https://www.reddit.com/r/audible/comments/ttakhs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that information! In this case, she doesn't have the Audible app.
EtherealRemnant said:
You could try DuckDuckGo's tracking protection to figure out which app is doing it.
Introducing DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection for Android
Join the waitlist to try App Tracking Protection for Android today!
spreadprivacy.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I forgot about DuckDuckGo app's advertised capability. I'll take a look into it. Thanks!

roirraW edor ehT said:
Since this is my wife's phone, not mine, I'm not willing to micro-manage to try to find the culprit. It would only cause her stress and because of that, ultimately more stress for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Words of wisdom for maintaining a happy marriage

Lughnasadh said:
Words of wisdom for maintaining a happy marriage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New movie: "Honey, I disabled half of your apps!"

EtherealRemnant said:
I've never once had a problem with any of this stuff... I think the malware problem is hugely overblown. I just don't download random obscure apps and never had an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rarely sample apps. All my apps are vetted and most have been used by me for years. Playstore is a mess. I keep installable copies of all my apps on my data drive (SD card) master backup for easy reloads if I need to factory reset. I occasionally side load, these are always first scanned with Virustotal. If they even look a little twitchy they aren't loaded. I firewall block all apps that implicitly don't need internet access. I also watch what is accessing the internet, when and why.
Apps are never upgraded unless it would provide a substantial benefit. There's no need to as I already have a stable platform. I don't upgrade or update the firmware, ever. This 3 yo N10+ is still running snappy fast and rock solid stable on Pie. Any problem is easy to stop as the platform is very predictable; malware stands out like a sore thumb. The current load is over 2yo and it runs day after day like a bat out of hell with minimal maintenance. I also watch the download folder like a hawk; everything is vetted before it is moved into the database, apps, mp4's, jpegs etc. At the very least I open the file in the download folder to look for abnormal behavior especially in that folder.
I've had malware jpegs on Android, once you open it, it would damage any files not in a folder in the download folder. Some were repairable some not and best deleted. Deleting the jpeg ends it's rain of terror. If it gets into the database in a folder with a large number of files it would rain hell down on you. It may not be detectable at all as malware meaning you would need to find it the hard way.
There are scripted jpegs, pngs that target both PC and Android. They pop up from time to time and Outlook can be a vector. Keel all email in the cloud ie Gmail. Be very cautious of downloading anything from emails, the oldest trick in the book. Lol, you've been warned
Also saw a trojan preloader slip past Samsung browser without permission. I tagged it in the download folder before it could download it's payload. KIA Police the download folder daily, delete any unknown files without opening them.
Vet everything.
Almost all malware is loaded or downloaded by the user, one way or another. Pie and above are secure unless you do stupid things.
┤Mod Edit├┤Unneeded remark removed├

roirraW edor ehT said:
New movie: "Honey, I disabled half of your apps!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sequel: "Why I now sleep on the couch"

roirraW edor ehT said:
New movie: "Honey, I disabled half of your apps!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Translation: "Honey half your apps were spyware, can we still be friends after the divorce?"

Lughnasadh said:
Sequel: "Why I now sleep on the couch"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"...and use the cat's litterbox..."

roirraW edor ehT said:
Since this is my wife's phone, not mine, I'm not willing to micro-manage to try to find the culprit. It would only cause her stress and because of that, ultimately more stress for me.
I'll certainly keep an eye on what it reports, but since so far it's only reported things from my wife's phone and not my own or any of our computers, I'm going to keep being curious about what exactly is triggering it.
Thanks for that information! In this case, she doesn't have the Audible app.
Ah, I forgot about DuckDuckGo app's advertised capability. I'll take a look into it. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try scanning with Malwarebytes. Virustotal is the gold standard as it gives a broad overview to what's there and how it behaves.
Brave browser is near bulletproof.
Always try to back out of a bad site by closing that window if necessary or close the browser. Occasionally I needed to clear the cache as well. Never needed to clear the data but have seen some really persistent bad sites. No breach though save that one trojan preloader.
Abnormal behavior should be promptly investigated and the cause found.
Never ignore it... and teach her new tricks.

blackhawk said:
I rarely sample apps. All my apps are vetted and most have been used by me for years. Playstore is a mess. I keep installable copies of all my apps on my data drive (SD card) master backup for easy reloads if I need to factory reset. I occasionally side load, these are always first scanned with Virustotal. If they even look a little twitchy they aren't loaded. I firewall block all apps that implicitly don't need internet access. I also watch what is accessing the internet, when and why.
Apps are never upgraded unless it would provide a substantial benefit. There's no need to as I already have a stable platform. I don't upgrade or update the firmware, ever. This 3 yo N10+ is still running snappy fast and rock solid stable on Pie. Any problem is easy to stop as the platform is very predictable; malware stands out like a sore thumb. The current load is over 2yo and it runs day after day like a bat out of hell with minimal maintenance. I also watch the download folder like a hawk; everything is vetted before it is moved into the database, apps, mp4's, jpegs etc. At the very least I open the file in the download folder to look for abnormal behavior especially in that folder.
I've had malware jpegs on Android, once you open it, it would damage any files not in a folder in the download folder. Some were repairable some not and best deleted. Deleting the jpeg ends it's rain of terror. If it gets into the database in a folder with a large number of files it would rain hell down on you. It may not be detectable at all as malware meaning you would need to find it the hard way.
There are scripted jpegs, pngs that target both PC and Android. They pop up from time to time and Outlook can be a vector. Keel all email in the cloud ie Gmail. Be very cautious of downloading anything from emails, the oldest trick in the book. Lol, you've been warned
Also saw a trojan preloader slip past Samsung browser without permission. I tagged it in the download folder before it could download it's payload. KIA Police the download folder daily, delete any unknown files without opening them.
Vet everything.
Almost all malware is loaded or downloaded by the user, one way or another. Pie and above are secure unless you do stupid things. No saving dumb bunnies, you are what you load/download.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean I use FairEmail and have it set to only download images when I tell it to but other than that, I don't use much more than common sense for my security platform. I don't dabble a lot in random apps (sometimes I will grab a game from a new dev after I see some positive reviews for it somewhere but those F2P apps end up earning the devs more money in microtransactions than they would get from malware anyway so the risk is low here, especially since I only go for visually appealing games with some depth to them), I don't use a firewall, don't use AV... It's never been a problem going all the way back to Cupcake on my HTC Hero.
I do, however, take all updates within a few weeks of them being available (system updates I will do as soon as I get a prompt that they are available, app updates I manually do), and while that potentially exposes me to a zero day if one of my apps goes rogue, lots of pre-existing loopholes get closed by these same updates as well.
For that matter, going back to my first computer when I was 8 or 9 years old running DOS, I've only ever gotten one bug that was nasty enough for me to have to reinstall everything, a trojan, and I got it from some software I grabbed from a BBS IIRC. I don't run more than Windows Defender these days and I continue to just use common sense on the internet. Most of my important stuff is backed up to my Google Drive anyway so my desktop can get nuked and I'll just have to saturate the gigabit connection for a few hours to download all my apps and games again. *shrug*
I do use Bitwarden for passwords and Authy for 2FA (as well as having YubiKey for a few things like Google, Microsoft, and Bitwarden) as I feel that those are common sense in the world we live in but I just don't see the point otherwise.
I do use VirusTotal from time to time if I'm not sure about something as well.

blackhawk said:
Try scanning with Malwarebytes. Virustotal is the gold standard as it gives a broad overview to what's there and how it behaves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely. I got her to install it - later when we're both not working, I'll work with her to have it do its thing. I meant to mention in my earlier reply, to thank you for that advice.
blackhawk said:
Brave browser is near bulletproof.
Always try to back out of a bad site by closing that window if necessary or close the browser. Occasionally I needed to clear the cache as well. Never needed to clear the data but have seen some really persistent bad sites. No breach though save that one trojan preloader.
Abnormal behavior should be promptly investigated and the cause found.
Never ignore it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Brave for select things, but to try to move her completely or even partly from Chrome to Brave would ultimately not be an effort well spent. I'm getting anxious just knowing how things would go.
blackhawk said:
and teach her new tricks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My wife's habits are firmly planted. Mine are probably just a tiny bit less than hers, but obviously, I can't be objective.
EtherealRemnant said:
For that matter, going back to my first computer when I was 8 or 9 years old running DOS, I've only ever gotten one bug that was nasty enough for me to have to reinstall everything, a trojan, and I got it from some software I grabbed from a BBS IIRC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ugh, that reminds me of the time just about 20 years ago that back in my Norton AntiVirus days, there was a trojan that wasn't detected for weeks - I forget which one, but Symantec was not picking it up, and I had kept on reinstalling Windows XP on both my wife's and my desktops I built but ultimately they both would act crazy in some way. What a pain. Then when Symantec finally recognized what was going on and their definitions found the culprit, what a relief.
That was the only time I know that any of my devices were infected and rampant.
EtherealRemnant said:
I don't run more than Windows Defender these days and I continue to just use common sense on the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here.
EtherealRemnant said:
Most of my important stuff is backed up to my Google Drive anyway so my desktop can get nuked and I'll just have to saturate the gigabit connection for a few hours to download all my apps and games again. *shrug*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've "lost everything" (digital) so many times over the last 38 years, but my most important potentially life-altering things are backed up in the cloud, too, although using my own encryption for the most sensitive things.

roirraW edor ehT said:
Ugh, that reminds me of the time just about 20 years ago that back in my Norton AntiVirus days, there was a trojan that wasn't detected for weeks - I forget which one, but Symantec was not picking it up, and I had kept on reinstalling Windows XP on both my wife's and my desktops I built but ultimately they both would act crazy in some way. What a pain. Then when Symantec finally recognized what was going on and their definitions found the culprit, what a relief.
That was the only time I know that any of my devices were infected and rampant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this was definitely in the early Norton days. That computer was running Windows 3.1. lol.
roirraW edor ehT said:
I've "lost everything" (digital) so many times over the last 38 years, but my most important potentially life-altering things are backed up in the cloud, too, although using my own encryption for the most sensitive things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been incredibly lucky. I have never even had a hard drive fail to the point of any significant loss. I actually still have the 320GB Seagate that was in my grandfather's old Gateway P3 from the early 2000s and it still works fine.
But my stupid self has definitely done the "let's get drunk and mess with Linux" thing... Which has absolutely resulted in some loss lol, especially back in the LILO days when the installers could easily wipe out your Windows partition when they bugged out and also sometimes when I just messed up the partitioning myself.
Fortunately, there's not much that I absolutely have to have, so even if I lost absolutely everything, the biggest headache would be recovering my bank/credit union accounts (of which I have like 23 credit cards alone right now) and online accounts like XDA and reddit. Social media I could just start over. Or not start back up at all for that matter.
Also, I tried Brave... Can't do it. It's Chrome or nothing for me. It was hard enough to switch from Firefox to Chrome (I had been using Firefox since it was in alpha as Phoenix) but I'm just too set in my ways to switch to anything else now.

EtherealRemnant said:
Yeah this was definitely in the early Norton days. That computer was running Windows 3.1. lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forgot - I guess I don't count my pre-XP days as far as viruses and trojans. Definitely had some on probably almost every Apple/Amiga/Windows OS I ever ran before XP. Security? What security!?
EtherealRemnant said:
I have been incredibly lucky. I have never even had a hard drive fail to the point of any significant loss. I actually still have the 320GB Seagate that was in my grandfather's old Gateway P3 from the early 2000s and it still works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is lucky. I'm not on the opposite spectrum of hard drive experience, but I definitely have run the wheels off of many hard drives.
EtherealRemnant said:
Also, I tried Brave... Can't do it. It's Chrome or nothing for me. It was hard enough to switch from Firefox to Chrome (I had been using Firefox since it was in alpha as Phoenix) but I'm just too set in my ways to switch to anything else now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A few months ago I largely switched back to Firefox, but I still use Chrome for certain things, and I do use Brave for a very few things. A couple of years ago, I was liking Microsoft's Chromium-based Edge just fine, but then they changed just one little thing - which made it many more clicks than in Chrome or other browsers if you wanted to potentially change your download save location for each and every download.
There were a ton of complaints to Microsoft but they wouldn't reinstate the original way. I'd have no problem if they at least let users opt to use the way they used to, but fell on deaf ears. I switched back to Chrome after that - Edge was just too much of a pain for micro-managed downloads.

EtherealRemnant said:
I mean I use FairEmail and have it set to only download images when I tell it to but other than that, I don't use much more than common sense for my security platform. I don't dabble a lot in random apps (sometimes I will grab a game from a new dev after I see some positive reviews for it somewhere but those F2P apps end up earning the devs more money in microtransactions than they would get from malware anyway so the risk is low here, especially since I only go for visually appealing games with some depth to them), I don't use a firewall, don't use AV... It's never been a problem going all the way back to Cupcake on my HTC Hero.
I do, however, take all updates within a few weeks of them being available (system updates I will do as soon as I get a prompt that they are available, app updates I manually do), and while that potentially exposes me to a zero day if one of my apps goes rogue, lots of pre-existing loopholes get closed by these same updates as well.
For that matter, going back to my first computer when I was 8 or 9 years old running DOS, I've only ever gotten one bug that was nasty enough for me to have to reinstall everything, a trojan, and I got it from some software I grabbed from a BBS IIRC. I don't run more than Windows Defender these days and I continue to just use common sense on the internet. Most of my important stuff is backed up to my Google Drive anyway so my desktop can get nuked and I'll just have to saturate the gigabit connection for a few hours to download all my apps and games again. *shrug*
I do use Bitwarden for passwords and Authy for 2FA (as well as having YubiKey for a few things like Google, Microsoft, and Bitwarden) as I feel that those are common sense in the world we live in but I just don't see the point otherwise.
I do use VirusTotal from time to time if I'm not sure about something as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm still running W7. It's kept off the internet always. Android is a lot easier to keep secure.
Updates sound good in theory just like the Covid vaccine did. In actual practice they cause trouble and aren't needed. It's an ongoing experiment at this point and it's simply running too good to mess with the firmware. I refuse to.
Pie is pretty secure in real time with a few modifications. I keep wifi disabled as well. At this point I'm curious to see if anything can nail it. Lol, I test it everyday. A reload isn't very painful for me and everything is redundantly backed up.
App updates have caused me a lot of time and trouble particularly with Samsung. Got a pair of Buds+ that the last firmware update degraded the sound badly, need to get Samsung to reflash to its original firmware. My new Buds+ sound great with much better range; that firmware will never be upgraded. Upgrades and updates tend to break Samsung's... best to leave it be if it's fast, stable and fulfilling its mission. That strategy may sound counterproductive but it works well for me in real time.
That's all that counts.

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{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
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"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
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step 1- root wife's phone
step 2- install netguard
step 3- install afwall+
step 4- check the logs from each and cross-reference which app is the problem
step 5- profit. have her make you sandwich

xxTECRAxx said:
step 1- root wife's phone
step 2- install netguard
step 3- install afwall+
step 4- check the logs from each and cross-reference which app is the problem
step 5- profit. have her make you sandwich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I was trying to indicate that root isn't an option I'm interested in for her phone. That is, she's not interested, and it would be especially disruptive to her now that we've had our factory unlocked Pixel 7 Pros for over six months, plus it's just less work for me to not bother rooting her phone and keeping it up to date manually.
In addition, with her phone not rooted, and the bootloader still locked, I feel better about her running whatever random games she plays.
I haven't had any notifications about that site being blocked in a while. The most recent email I found about it was from December, although I don't know if I might've deleted emails that came after that, but I think I purposefully kept only the most recent example.
I'll keep your information in mind if I ever experience anything like that coming from my devices (I always root them).