Related
Well lets assume your android device has been stolen! Good lord !! . Not to worry, this guide should hopefully help you recover it. Even if its a thief.
PS: This contents of this read may bear resemblance to the reddit thread i created
A about two weeks ago (17th April to be exact) one of my friend lost his Samsung GT-I9003 from his dorm room at 0200hrs. Today when i was scanning my latitude, i saw him position a few hundred meters from me. Problem is, we are on a university campus. 500+ students, staff, kitchen, cleaning - basically lot of people. I suggested we check Google Latitiude's location history and sure enough for the past 15 days, the phone's location is spread all over the campus.
Premise of the crime
The phone is ON and is connecting to the Wi-Fi.
The phone is still tied to the primary gmail account and is thus reporting location.
The SIM has been removed or changed since the original number is now switched off
The person does not have good knowledge of using a smart phone (maybe helping staff)
Steps we have taken
Since we assume it is in the possession of either a student or helping staff we don't want to startle him.
Tried Plan-B on my phone. However the location it was reporting was the same as Google Latitude.
The phone does have Where is my Droid installed but the web interface says invalid email ID. So that option is ruled out unless you have pre configured Where is my Droid previously.
How we found the phone
After Where is my Droid failed us, we started looking for other applications. We found this application called Android Lost. Unfortunately we hit a dead end when we realised that it needs to be activated by sending an SMS. Since we dont know the phone number, or that there is even any SIM card in the phone, that application also seemed useless.But turns out the developer of Android Lost has also made a nifty app called AndroidLost Jumpstart which is can trigger Android Lost without the need of an SMS.
According to the description
This app will wake up the registration process on the androidlost app when ever a phone call is made, an SMS received, battery is low, a package is added, removed or changed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So we got android lost installed. Trust me, its a life saver. We got calls logs, sms, pictures, voice recordings. We tracked the person with the help of this.
Hope this helps anyone in the future!
maverick340 said:
Well lets assume your android device has been stolen! Good lord !! . Not to worry, this guide should hopefully help you recover it. Even if its a thief.
PS: This contents of this read may bear resemblance to the reddit thread i created
A about two weeks ago (17th April to be exact) one of my friend lost his Samsung GT-I9003 from his dorm room at 0200hrs. Today when i was scanning my latitude, i saw him position a few hundred meters from me. Problem is, we are on a university campus. 500+ students, staff, kitchen, cleaning - basically lot of people. I suggested we check Google Latitiude's location history and sure enough for the past 15 days, the phone's location is spread all over the campus.
Premise of the crime
The phone is ON and is connecting to the Wi-Fi.
The phone is still tied to the primary gmail account and is thus reporting location.
The SIM has been removed or changed since the original number is now switched off
The person does not have good knowledge of using a smart phone (maybe helping staff)
Steps we have taken
Since we assume it is in the possession of either a student or helping staff we don't want to startle him.
Tried Plan-B on my phone. However the location it was reporting was the same as Google Latitude.
The phone does have Where is my Droid installed but the web interface says invalid email ID. So that option is ruled out unless you have pre configured Where is my Droid previously.
How we found the phone
After Where is my Droid failed us, we started looking for other applications. We found this application called Android Lost. Unfortunately we hit a dead end when we realised that it needs to be activated by sending an SMS. Since we dont know the phone number, or that there is even any SIM card in the phone, that application also seemed useless.But turns out the developer of Android Lost has also made a nifty app called AndroidLost Jumpstart which is can trigger Android Lost without the need of an SMS.
According to the description
So we got android lost installed. Trust me, its a life saver. We got calls logs, sms, pictures, voice recordings. We tracked the person with the help of this.
Hope this helps anyone in the future!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or install Avast anti theft before your phone gets stolen ;D never the less, very useful, thank you.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
okmijnlp said:
Or install Avast anti theft before your phone gets stolen ;D never the less, very useful, thank you.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep always good to be safe before hand. After this incident lot of my friends have installed or gotten some security app.
Although, aren't security suite like Avast, McAfee and overkill for finding lost phones?
And who was the thief?
Sent from my LG Optimus 2x with xda premium app
another possibility is to instal Cerberus App
Hi everyone. I have recently been the victim of theft for my nexus 7. I had the device locked with the pattern so there is no way that the thief could get into it unless they do a software reset from the recovery mode. The thing is, either way there is no way i would be able to recover it because if in fact they do a factory reset my lookout security would be uninstalled and my nexus would be lost forever, also if they can't get through the pattern and find a way to connect to Wi-Fi, it will still be lost forever. I have read about installing lookout in the system/app folder of a rooted device so its not easily uninstalled by normal means or factory reset. But do you think it is possible to have android lost and lookout pre-configured and installed in the system/app folder so that even if the device is factory reset, the credentials will remain?
is it factory-reset proof?
Just a quick little question: How did you get the phone to register on Android Lost? I can't get a friend's phone to be recognized in the web app, after installing the Jumpstart and another app...
Thank you
Very good contribution, gratz! i will follow your steps in case my android get stolen!
How did it fail?
You say that "after Where's my Droid failed us"...what do you mean by that...how did it "fail"? I would like to know before installing it. What exactly happened that it "failed" you?
Thanks
Losing a phone is irritating
I lost my phone sometime back. I didn't have the time to do research and maybe these apps weren't available at the time of theft. I got the SIM de-activated and tried to track my phone via IMEI number.
So, a few questions
1. Have they changed its IMEI number ?
2. Have they removed my Google account ?
This pretty much messes it up. If you can't track it via IMEI nor can you use any network then its as good as history. These were the only remaining identification tags that could have got your phone back and the thief would know of it. The moment I called on my own number he switched it off. He logged into my account and posted crap(not that I knew any of it had it not been for my friend who reported some strange FB and Twitter status) as if it wasn't enough that he had my phone.
One of the most disturbing things that they can do is play with the IMEI. Older phones were more susceptible to that kind of thing but a Nexus ? P990 ? GT19100? I thought they were much harder to hack. Not only can you NOT track your phone but also lose all other alternatives because the phone is now linked to another google account. I was searching for a post that would walk me through a process of changing the google account currently associated with the phone. In an attempt to understand if this indeed was the case. I wanted to try this app so badly but now I blew it off, my only chance.
Hardware based identification is the only way to go about fixing this issue. Any low level process that runs off some hard coded tag independent of software control known only to the owner of the phone. I just don't know what other options are left with person who lost it. I think there is no other way.
Time for a new phone, I guess
Edit: I guess I was right about that. They had done a hard reset but the IMEI associated with my account is intact. So there are two ways of messing it up. One, you change the IMEI(which sounds ridiculously dumb). Second, you change the primary account(more believable). How stupid of me to think of the first one
i think if a android phone is lost and a guy with a bit knowledge of flashin roms gets it then we might have to forget our phone.. if the phone has screen lock the guy can reset the phone through stock recovery and all security apps like where's my droid,avast etc get wiped off.. i personally don't install any anti-theft apps. i beleive in being EXTRA CAREFUL than installing any anti theft apps
And you are damn right bro, its good to be careful than putting all your believe in one anti-THEFT software which can easily get wiped off.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
That's useful, thanks !
How did you get the Logs.
Hi Maverik,
My phone was robbed yesterday & the SIM card was removed,
I wanted to know how were you able to get the call logs, pics etc of your lost phone to ........
Very useful! Thanks!
we have Find My Phone
you can have a try
Find My Phone - find your misplaced phone/stolen phone/lost phone easily
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.phonefindandlock
Thanks for share your experience with AndroidLost.
Inviato dal mio K00E utilizzando Tapatalk
AndroFind is the best
i highly recommend AndroFind to find stolen phone.
you can find it in android market :good:
Hi, but It's possible to find any kind of phone also with older Android version?
Thanks!
I have unknown activity on my phone.
Along with numerous "unknown" outgoing calls with no number shown on my device (and 2 other M9 phones on the same plan) or any number registering on my carrier's system (when I called R, they said their system did show connected calls lasting various amounts of time, the could not determine what number the calls were going to), there's also a call in the log going to "(unknown)" "***,144***"
Anybody have any clue what's going on? R gave the bs answer that all 3 of us were calling our VM, even while we were sleeping. However, the times we did check our VM, the number did register on the phones and with the carrier's system.
Thanks!
Im adding a question. My M9 was unlocked without my knowledge. I'm guessing that ***,144*** might be the secret unlock code. IS there a way I can determine if it's been rooted as well?
--
squidstings said:
I have unknown activity on my phone.
Along with numerous "unknown" outgoing calls with no number shown on my device (and 2 other M9 phones on the same plan) or any number registering on my carrier's system (when I called R, they said their system did show connected calls lasting various amounts of time, the could not determine what number the calls were going to), there's also a call in the log going to "(unknown)" "***,144***"
Anybody have any clue what's going on? R gave the bs answer that all 3 of us were calling our VM, even while we were sleeping. However, the times we did check our VM, the number did register on the phones and with the carrier's system.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting issue. I am not sure about the rooting. You are probably going to need to ask experts around here. Hopefully, they can help you with that. As for security, you could try checking if you have any suspicious apps running in the background or installed (You might be using same GPS or another app for example). It could be that one of the malicious apps had access to your calls which lead to them outputting calls to somewhere. You could try disconnecting your internet for a day and see if the calls persist (That is probably not an option for you, but it is an idea). Additionally, you could try a factory reset on one of the phones and see if the problem is still there.
squidstings said:
Im adding a question. My M9 was unlocked without my knowledge. I'm guessing that ***,144*** might be the secret unlock code. IS there a way I can determine if it's been rooted as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just saw this,
https://www.xda-developers.com/htc-says-the-ads-in-its-keyboard-are-a-mistake-fix-icoming/
which reminded me of your issue, though I don't suppose it's linked, but it does make you wonder WTF HTC are up to!
Anyhow with your issue I wasn't going to answer as I don't know the answer but my thoughts may help in some small way. I don't thank the 144 is a phone developers code to "root" or turn of security in some way as that would not show on your provides call logs as they stay internal to the phone (mostly). Also I don't think it's adware callng a premium number as your phone company says it does not register properly, so nobody will be paid.
That only leaves a more malicious form of hacking, I would say. So maybe that code does enable your data to be sent but untrckable over a network. That suggests to me it's possibly your actual network (who are R? What country, is it?) or maybe even your government if you are an activist or something? Though more likely is a criminal or business competitor, assuming the other people affected are business colleagues. So could be your boss trying to snoop on you all, if not HTC or the Chinese Communist Party aparatus!
What to do? As Ross says disconnecting is probably not practicable. If you have malicious activity they probably are using data as well as calls. So I would install a firewall to block most apps and log attempted connections (normally have to pay for this) then check IP addresses tell see if they are legit. However this may not show anything as data may go via root. So setting up a proxy to route traffic to your PC and use a sniffing program to see traffic or at least I P addresses.
You can download root checking apps from play store. Also check your security settings any app with admin rights? Also use a good antivirus you might get lucky, but even if negative you may still be infected.
Only way to really clean your system is to reinstall your OS, though a factory reset will fix often. But first you need to know how you were all compromised and fix that else it will just return, I would think it's most likely your local work network, (but could be your provider R or even something else you connect to in sore way eg Bluetooth, or an app you all have (you can boot into safe mode to disable 3rd party apps, but with HTC system apps possibly containing apps that use the Baidu apk etc that still has a possible backdoor unpatched (as far as I know) safe mode will not help white those!)
You might have to look into freezing/uninstalling all HTC installed apps.
IronRoo said:
just saw this,
https://www.xda-developers.com/htc-says-the-ads-in-its-keyboard-are-a-mistake-fix-icoming/
which reminded me of your issue, though I don't suppose it's linked, but it does make you wonder WTF HTC are up to!
Anyhow with your issue I wasn't going to answer as I don't know the answer but my thoughts may help in some small way. I don't thank the 144 is a phone developers code to "root" or turn of security in some way as that would not show on your provides call logs as they stay internal to the phone (mostly). Also I don't think it's adware callng a premium number as your phone company says it does not register properly, so nobody will be paid.
That only leaves a more malicious form of hacking, I would say. So maybe that code does enable your data to be sent but untrckable over a network. That suggests to me it's possibly your actual network (who are R? What country, is it?) or maybe even your government if you are an activist or something? Though more likely is a criminal or business competitor, assuming the other people affected are business colleagues. So could be your boss trying to snoop on you all, if not HTC or the Chinese Communist Party aparatus!
You might have to look into freezing/uninstalling all HTC installed apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
Rogers, Canada. But I've switched carriers within the last few days.
I've actually done the FR 5 times now. Disabeling the pre-installed "Gmail" (I think it's more Google thn HTC related seems to have stopped the calls. I've disabled as much as I could.
so here's the kicker. I'm literally nobody! On disability, no exciting employment history and those In my family who have, aren't in contact, nor do I have contact info. And it was my wife and daughter who had the other phones, but mine was central i think. daughters phone was locked. So nothing so exciting. Which is why I even bothered asking lol
squidstings said:
Thank you!
Rogers, Canada. But I've switched carriers within the last few days.
I've actually done the FR 5 times now. Disabeling the pre-installed "Gmail" (I think it's more Google thn HTC related seems to have stopped the calls. I've disabled as much as I could.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah! Rogers Canada should be a well controlled and trustworthy provider, so probably not them, though a rogue employee or having their network compromised can't be ruled out.
Also if official Gmail app it should be safe though it does have some quite intrusive permissions like full network access, view confidential info etc, but all are legit if you want the full functionality of Gmail. But it shouldn't have access to place phone calls, so should not be able to create the behaviour you describe.
That leaves a rouge app, but you would all need to have it I suppose, HTC app (or system behavior) or local hack ie via your router or via your PC. A good anti virus should find rogue app on phone and similarly on PC. HTC system apps hard to spot without doing the firewall etc etc. So I would also be double checking your local router for firmware update and resetting it with a new strong password, to prevent possible return, so to any Bluetooth devices.
Hope it doesn't return! All the best
been a while but, just how does one get a "," in the phone keyboard? long press * for P, but no ",".
Now that time has passed and more people might be awake and less likely to make excuses, I'm wondering if this issue can be solved, or at lest thought about intelligently. Maybe someone who knows how it CAN happen, instead of trying to find ways I'm mistaken. this was on THREE SEPARATE PHONES in 2 separate cities.
squidstings said:
been a while but, just how does one get a "," in the phone keyboard? long press * for P, but no ",".
Now that time has passed and more people might be awake and less likely to make excuses, I'm wondering if this issue can be solved, or at lest thought about intelligently. Maybe someone who knows how it CAN happen, instead of trying to find ways I'm mistaken. this was on THREE SEPARATE PHONES in 2 separate cities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check with a root app to see if your device is rooted
check permissions also you can take back permissions with a app on fdroid
unknown app check with virus total or
IF someone has root on your phone they can do what they want and when they want
a app that has call access they can transfer information over a phone connection which can be anything
The troubling thing here is that your phone was unlocked w/o you which implies root access
IF you bought your phone new you might not be anybody but to be put in perspective amazon lets you steal $500 if you use another id and they say it is not you so you do not lose out
but if it is used this can be from the previous user.
The best thing to do if it does not stop is to upgrade the software on the phone if you have already done that then use a Root firewall or change to a rom here on xda (you can all change making the transition easier).
Applied Protocol said:
Check with a root app to see if your device is rooted
check permissions also you can take back permissions with a app on fdroid
unknown app check with virus total or
IF someone has root on your phone they can do what they want and when they want
a app that has call access they can transfer information over a phone connection which can be anything
The troubling thing here is that your phone was unlocked w/o you which implies root access
IF you bought your phone new you might not be anybody but to be put in perspective amazon lets you steal $500 if you use another id and they say it is not you so you do not lose out
but if it is used this can be from the previous user.
The best thing to do if it does not stop is to upgrade the software on the phone if you have already done that then use a Root firewall or change to a rom here on xda (you can all change making the transition easier).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for taking the issue seriously and not trying to force kool aid down my throat (if carrier was "trust"worthy, THEY would have solved it).
It didn't show root. 2 of 3 m9s were mysteriously unlocked. the 3rd did prompt for a code, but did also show those "unknown #" calls. However, I'm still stuck on the code. I can't even enter a ",". Didn't check the other units for it, but it's still the only unanswered issue that could explain the unlock (aside from your suggestion). No one's even heard of it, but programmers are known for adding backdoors. If anyone's got a new, s-on unit and feels like trying it, that's about the only way to get an answer.
It's dead now anyways. Battery won't charge unless powered off and went from 24+hours regular standby to about 3 hours with extreme powersave on, overnight and doesn't extend with usb power. usb data comm isn't even recognized. All 3 have failed actually (different ways) so I'm going back to my m7 which still works great. Except, it says s-on but works with different carriers and I can't even enter the code I paid for (no prompt. is there another way?)
So, here's the tinfoil hat part. Although I'm nobody, This all started around the time of the '16 election. when I was arguing with a youtube account named (not looking to attract attention so no name, but you know it) for the person who came 2nd.
Thank you for your help. It's a shame it's pooched before solving the issue. But hopefully, the code will be solved.
But any help entering my sim unlock code a different way would be appreciated. But if other carrier sims work, should root be doable while showing s-on?
Thanks a TON!!
squidstings said:
Thank you for taking the issue seriously and not trying to force kool aid down my throat (if carrier was "trust"worthy, THEY would have solved it).
No one's even heard of it, but programmers are known for adding backdoors. If anyone's got a new, s-on unit and feels like trying it, that's about the only way to get an answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would seem in your case that it is a setting change that was made and not comparable to other phones. Probably what we are talking about is a connection to a command server. S-on is a protection so that one cannot change the state of certain partitions namely the recovery boot and system however their are ways to get around this. You would need to get a root app to do that.
As a general rule you need to prove something is going on and funny numbers are a indication but nobody in the security community would touch it because it is very open. What you need to do however is
Get a copy of the calls use pcap and
check your firmware with the standard HTC firmware
this will show you what the phone call is doing and will help the android community overall (improved security)
Also programmers do not try to add backdoors they try to have a good product it is the hacking/security teams of _________ that do that. This being a programmer myself.
As I am sure all Alcatel Idol 3 owners noticed by now, Alcatel have, over the last year or so, released on Google Play "updates" for most of their builtin software - the launcher, file manager, radio player, photo gallery, calendar and more - with what is, if I can be blunt - malware, updates whose only intention is to show you ads and notifications (whereas the original applications, obviously, did not have ads) which you have no way of disabling, and who knows what else.
I avoided this crap by "uninstalling" the updated applications and getting back the preinstalled versions.
BUT, today I started getting on all my Alcatel Idol phones (I have 3 of them!), OTA Android update. And I'm worried what would happen if I click it. Will I get the "updated" (malicious) versions of all the builtin applications with no way to revert them?
Does anyone have an experience with the new OTA update that came out yesterday? Can you tell me if after the update, the "joy launcher", "file manager", etc., are decent versions or the crappy versions which show ads?
P.S. Alcatel, you guys are idiots. I love your phones, and in the past bought 5 of them, but I'll *never* buy another phone from you because of this malware issue.
i have been wondering the same thing, i was scared to even touch the notification to see if it is a large upgrade or just 1 or 2 megabytes, in case touching it forces me to download it. please note, i have no idea if the OTA is any good, but i'm going to continue this post to vent about alcatel idol 3.
i was a bit annoyed with the last system upgrade, which started flashing the screen on and off periodically when any notifications were left active... for me, i always leave some notifications going, so that i don't forget about them or just want to leave them up even if i never take any action with them...
so i'm sure this takes a toll on my battery, since the screen will be flashing on and off for a few minutes before it stops.
i was shocked when a few months ago (or even a year?) apps started sending ads to the notification bar, from reading some posts i figured out you not only had to stop auto-updates in the play store, but also go into the updates app and disable them there. i didn't even know ads on a stock system were a thing, until i saw my dad's BLU $50 phone and realized that's how they make a decent phone $50.
since my idol 3 4.7" was relatively cheap at $180, i could see how they might need to put ads, but if i got a brand new alcatel phone at over $400, i'd be even more furious, do they put ads on their brand new phones?
i see a lot of cheap phones on amazon now listed having versions with "lockscreen offers and ads" including idol 5s
as long as the ads aren't malicious, and if you can just block notifications in android (i dunno if they somehow disable that) then it's sort of worth saving the money
anyway, i've had my idol 3 4.7" for just about 2 years, it's still fine, but i guess i'm starting to think about getting something else. i'd love to get another small phone, right before this i had an xperia z1 compact which i loved but the the battery started failing and bloating after less than a year and a half, so i'm kind of thinking i should never spend over $200 for a phone again (that one was $350)
my android history has been
nexus one $529
galaxy nexus $435.50
xperia z1 compact $350
idol 3 4.7" $180
i've been looking at nokia's new androids lately, or some kind of honor maybe
but my idol 3 4.7" is still working fine pretty much
i just remembered one other thing i hated about the marshmallow updated, which is the adopted SD card storage...
from what i understand if your phone dies, everything that was on the SD card can never be read again, because it works only when plugged into your phone. i mean i guess that's good for security, but it should be optional. it'd be nice to just be able to take that SD card to a new phone and just have everything that was there on it again.
i just noticed someone's post about "semi-adopted" SD card, which i guess means making 2 partitions, which kinda makes sense, but it would be nice if android offered that as a preset option. i had just gotten an SD card a few weeks before the marshmallow update came out and moving apps to SD for apps that supported it, worked fine.
anyway, i don't think and kinda hope no one read this, i'm not sure why i wrote this
I know that feeling, bros
Actually, I managed to uninstall built-in apps using adb shell, which was described in the discussion about Debloater (the app itself did not work after Marshmallow update):
Code:
pm uninstall --user 0 com.package.name
(this uninstalls system apps for the current user, so that they cannot be launched, do not notify about their updates in Google Play, and this works without root)
nyh said:
BUT, today I started getting on all my Alcatel Idol phones (I have 3 of them!), OTA Android update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear nyh, what is your region and phone model (like, 6045K or 6039Y or with other letter in the end)? Here in Belarus (Eastern Europe), my 6045Y does not notify of any update (current system version 6.0.1-010 20).
Mankann said:
Dear nyh, what is your region and phone model (like, 6045K or 6039Y or with other letter in the end)? Here in Belarus (Eastern Europe), my 6045Y does not notify of any update (current system version 6.0.1-010 20).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the 4.7" model 6039S, and three more phones of the 5.5" model, I don't remember now their model number.
What I'm running now appears to be Android 6.0.1 build number "1BGD-UED2". I don't know how this relates to your number. I noticed the "update" program tells me the new version is "0100020" which is suspiciously close to the number you said, maybe it's the same. With your version, does "uninstalling" the "Joy Launcher" (and other) applications to get back to the preinstalled one, gets you a decent version, or one with ads?
nyh said:
I noticed the "update" program tells me the new version is "0100020" which is suspiciously close to the number you said, maybe it's the same. With your version, does "uninstalling" the "Joy Launcher" (and other) applications to get back to the preinstalled one, gets you a decent version, or one with ads?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I understand now. It seems that your phone wants to update to the version that removes fastboot commands (so I suggest you triple-think and triple-check before upgrading).
"Uninstalling" system apps does not revert them to preinstalled versions, it makes them completely unavailable until hard reset (they are only listed in Settings labeled with "Disabled for current user" and cannot be run). If you decide to do this, you should first install some alternative apps (like Nova Launcher, Google Calendar etc), or else you won't be able to boot and use your phone.
I have the Idol 3 5.5 6045l(USA) Android 6.0.1 Build number 7VGE-UEE1.
I am reluctant to install the OTA I have pending:
______________________________
System update available
010 01 (471.5 MB)
New in this version
Version 7VGS-UES6 includes a security update that fixes Android major security flaw.
Update info:
- Netflix service
- Gameloft games
- UE improvements& bug fixes
______________________________
I am baffled that Alcatel would include Netflix & Gameloft with a major security fix.
After the adware riddled system app updates(that I've reverted to original) I will wait for more information before updating.
I love my phone and was considering buying a back-up or an Idol 4s especially as it seems that the front-facing speakers have been dropped from Alcatel's 2018 lineup.
But the bond of trust concerning system & app updates has been broken.
[Not sure whether one will be able to revert adware riddled system apps after the update]
That's real bad
Maybe this "security update" is resolving BlueBorne vulnerability (actually I wrote Alcatel about this, and they told me not to have bluetooth on all the time, wait patiently and install an antivirus which of course I did not do). But Netflix or Gameloft as system (priv-)apps is a no way (I struggled with TWO hidden Facebook services preinstalled on my phone until I found a method to "remove" them, which I described above).
If such an update comes to me (it may take days, weeks or months before it reaches all regions), and if no one installs it, I will do it and report here
I was stupid and sleepy and didn't fully check the update notes in depth when I saw it pop-up yesterday, I figured the majority of it was for security and maybe a couple of quality of life improvements like a new lock screen, even the entry about the Netflix app just sounded to me like they were fixing a problem people might have been having with it. suddenly I have and Netflix app I didn't want, a news app, some sort of Alcatel store front and two space wasting games (or at least one game and some gameloft "50 free games thing I have no use for).
I got rid of the apps that could be insta-deleted, and the netflix app can at least be disabled, but the filemanager is by far the worse offender. It's "boost" download and obnoxious UI, not to mention it clutters my notifications and lock screen. I've managed to quiet it down by canceling its access and whatever permissions I could. The fact that it restarts itself after a few seconds is just as irritating even before the reports that it actually may make my phone operate worse. I haven't experienced anything yet aside from the Google Play store crashing once while trying to figure out how to get rid of the update, but that was shortly after doing the factory reset and it's only been a day.
Whats mroe annoying is this now part of their most recent update on Idol 3. It's now impossible to revert or kill this as it's all baked in, not even factory reset will remove it. The new file manager app restarts at every turn, even after Force stop and will not allow you to disable it, and it seems to resist methods of hiding it from the user. I'm still seeking ways of getting rid of it that dont require rooting my phone but at this point it seems like the only possible answer, which is a shame because I was fine not rooting android, this was a really nice phone until they ruined it with this garbage. I know I'm pretty much screwed because My computer doesn't always seem to respond properly to Android stuff for some reason so any attempt to root will probably result in me bricking the thing, and even if I could root I'm not certain I'm comfortable with my phone being that open with other applications like this roaming around not to mention the questions of whether any of my desired apps will respond poorly to my doing it. But I wanted to at least add my voice to the rest that are complaining about this and telling Alcatel this is the last product of their's I'll ever own.
@PN04
Thank you for your very detailed report. Sorry to hear of the predicament you are now in. It goes without saying that I - thanks to you - will not be updating.
PN04 said:
I got rid of the apps that could be insta-deleted, and the netflix app can at least be disabled, but the filemanager is by far the worse offender. It's "boost" download and obnoxious UI, not to mention it clutters my notifications and lock screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you held down on a notification and hit the (i) and then block notifications?
does it somehow disregard that? that was a new feature added in marshmallow
zxcvb2 said:
have you held down on a notification and hit the (i) and then block notifications?
does it somehow disregard that? that was a new feature added in marshmallow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have, it takes you to the app notification section where you can reduce it's priority, stop it from peeking and "hide sensitive content" (not sure what that last one means but I turned them all off anyway). As far as I can tell it's teeth are pulled as long as I don't actually start the app or give it any permissions when it asks, but the fact that constantly force stopping it only gets rid of the menu bar on my lock screen for a few seconds and that little stupid broom icon is constantly showing in my bar at the top means it's still an ugly scar on an otherwise nice phone. also App memory usage claims it's used 27 mb in the last 3 hours and I havent' even touched it.
I'll probably be studying up on rooting this weekend.
ichmoimeyo said:
@PN04
Thank you for your very detailed report. Sorry to hear of the predicament you are now in. It goes without saying that I - thanks to you - will not be updating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, no update for me either thanks to PN04's findings. I have managed to silence the Update app by uninstalling updates on the app and then turning off auto update and notifications. So far so good, no nagging messages about the update. Considering my latest security patch is from Nov 2016, I was not expecting to get any more anyway.
Shame on you Alcatel for ruining an otherwise perfect phone! Maybe i can get one more year on this one. The Xperia XZ1 Compact is looking more and more attractive, apart from the price (native Wifi calling, VoLTE and band 12 on TMO US, stuff that this phone didn't have and start to become more important for me).
Glad it helped. I guess I can take some measure of comfort in that at least.
The result of the upgrade.
nyh said:
Does anyone have an experience with the new OTA update that came out yesterday? Can you tell me if after the update, the "joy launcher", "file manager", etc., are decent versions or the crappy versions which show ads?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, I was surprised nobody came up to talk about their experience with the upgrade, so I took a risk and updated two of my Alcatel Idol 3 phones (mine and my son's) to the new update. Like in the old movie, I have good news, bad news, and ugly news:
The bad news was that the application content of the update was just as lousy as I feared it would be. It has the evil file manager and a bunch of other crap applications which spew notifications all the time, spontaneously install applications you never wanted to install, and so on. The strangest thing is that the update claims to add Netflix support, but actually uninstalled the Netflix app that I already had installed, which was very annoying (I had to re-install Netflix, re-download my downloads, and tell Netflix that I don't have the "old" device any more so it will let me download on the "new" one).
Also, the last on the bad list: after using the new system for two days, I haven't found a single thing to be better than the old system. This update doesn't upgrade Android - it's still exactly the same release 6.0.1 as it was before. The "patch level" is listed as November 2017, so maybe it has some security improvements, but I can't really tell.
The good news is that with some considerable effort, I was able to get rid of all of the crap (at least, everything I found so far). There is a new application called "Apps" which installs random crap. You can't uninstall it, but you can "disable" it and it never runs again. The evil file manager you can't uninstall (or disable), but its menu has an option to not send notifications, and then it doesn't. Then I went to the list of applications and uninstalled (luckily, that's possible) a bunch of games and other crap that Alcatel installed for me. If Alcatel had a better track record, I might actually enjoy trying out the new games they installed for me, but as it stands, I was worried about what might happen if I run them - I prefered to uninstall them. Anyway, after doing all that (sorry I don't have more detailed instructions), I am running with the updated Android for two days, and I haven't seen another ad, unexplained notification, or unsolicited application being installed. Hallelujah!
The ugly news is that after two days, I'm starting to worry that this version is less stable than the previous one. In two days I had to reboot my phone at least three times, once it hung during taking a video, once when Netflix suddenly couldn't find my downloaded content, and once when another app suddenly couldn't use the SD card (and a reboot solved these problems). I can't say I never had to reboot my phone, but this seems to be more frequent than I used to do it. I'm not sure this a real new problem or just a string of bad luck - only time will tell.
Mankann said:
Ah, I understand now. It seems that your phone wants to update to the version that removes fastboot commands (so I suggest you triple-think and triple-check before upgrading).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is "fastboot commands", and why should I be worried if they are removed?
Mankann said:
"Uninstalling" system apps does not revert them to preinstalled versions, it makes them completely unavailable until hard reset (they are only listed in Settings labeled with "Disabled for current user" and cannot be run). If you decide to do this, you should first install some alternative apps (like Nova Launcher, Google Calendar etc), or else you won't be able to boot and use your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not my experience... In the Google Play app. For most applications, "Uninstall" lets you really uninstall an app. But for built-in applications, when you "Uninstall" it asks you if you really want to revert to the pre-installed version, and that is actually what happens. This is why I did on my Alcatel Idol 3 for a year before this latest update. In application tray, when you long-press an application, it lets you "uninstall" regular applications, but for built-in application, the uninstall operation is simply missing. I never found any way to do what you describe - "disable for current user". Somebody above suggested this can be done through adb, but I never saw a way to do this in Alcatel's normal UI.
I wrote above my experience from the upgrade, which you can read, but I have two small comments about your experience:
PN04 said:
I got rid of the apps that could be insta-deleted, and the netflix app can at least be disabled,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's hilarious (or more accurately, sad) how people who already had Netflix installed (like me), their installation got deleted - but for people who never had Netflix, it got installed and made unremovable. Great job Alcatel!
PN04 said:
but the filemanager is by far the worse offender. It's "boost" download and obnoxious UI, not to mention it clutters my notifications and lock screen. I've managed to quiet it down by canceling its access and whatever permissions I could. The fact that it restarts itself after a few seconds is just as irritating even before the reports that it actually may make my phone operate worse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I did to solve this was to reduce its permissions and more importantly, go into the file manager, go into its "settings", and ask it to stop its notifications. Luckily, it worked, and I never heard from the filemanager again. I don't know if it continues to do evil stuff in the background. It appears it is still running (my app info tells me it has used memory in the last 3 hours), but using "0%" CPU.
PN04 said:
this was a really nice phone until they ruined it with this garbage.
I wanted to at least add my voice to the rest that are complaining about this and telling Alcatel this is the last product of their's I'll ever own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I wonder if someone in TCL lost their marbles with these adware updates... As I said, I bought *five* of these phones - for me, my wife (two phones), mother-in-law and son, and I would have continued to recommend their phones if it weren't for the tricks they started to pull off last year.
nyh said:
What is "fastboot commands", and why should I be worried if they are removed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of the Alcatel's OTA updates (IIRC, it was from Lollipop to Marshmallow) removed the ability to send fastboot commands to the phone, so that it became very hard to unlock bootloader and install root or custom ROMs. Actually it was already discussed here many times.
nyh said:
Somebody above suggested this can be done through adb, but I never saw a way to do this in Alcatel's normal UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can either use adb shell or you can use shell directly on your phone via apps such as Terminal Emulator (Google Play, F-Droid). Of course you cannot do this within "normal" GUI, because it is designed not-to-be-able-to-break-things
I work from home/am self employed so most of the time so my phone doesn't get outside except for a few occasions a week otherwise it's usually connected to the home wifi so that I don't waste data. But this weekend I had to run a few errands and in a single hour outing using mobile data, I force quit the file manager maybe 26 times as opposed to 5 - 8 times just connected to wifi so I feel like it's constantly trying to ping servers unless you restrict it to mobile data. I also noticed that number dropped by half to maybe 3 or 4 times in the house when I had a few apps like AIMP or one of the games I do play on it to pass time idling in the background. As I said before I did cancel every permission I could find for it and it still manages to crawl out of the grave every so often but maybe those apps had a high enough priority level so having them active an in memory pushes it down the list.... Literally while typing this just now I was charging the phone and got the signal that the battery was full, woke it up to check if file Manager was running, saw nothing on the lock screen, unplugged it and File manager popped up again.
This update is a cancer. I haven't had to restart yet, but I've definitely noticed a few more app crashes. The loss of Fastboot might explain why my first attempt to hide the offenders with ADB failed. after installing every thing , switching to developer mode and connecting it to my computer the phone just refused to show up in the program (again, this might still be a computer issue because I've had trouble with minor developer tools in the past). I may not be an Android developer like some people on this side but feel like I fiollowed the instructions correctly. I get the feeling this is bad news. We might not be able to even get a different rom installed on it at this point.
Is it possible someone has an older version of the firmware that can be reinstalled over top of this some how? ugh, I really can't afford to have to buy a new phone right now.
PN04 said:
This update is a cancer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. People, please try to avoid this update. If you can find a way to stop the "update" process from notifying you, great, if you don't, learn to leave with them - it's better than doing the update.
After another day experience with this update, I figured out that:
1. The "Google Play Services" processes takes 30% of the CPU all the time, and causes my battery to run out after 6 or so hours. This was not the case before the update. I can't figure out what is calling the "Google Play Services". I see the evil "File Manager" running, but it's not taking up CPU, and nothing else takes CPU except the "Google Play Services".
2. Every once in a while - several times each day (!) - something "hangs" in the OS, and applications start to hang: sometimes they can't start, sometimes they can't read their data (!?), sometimes they can't connect to the network (!?), and other bizarre phenomena. Rebooting the phone solves the problem, and I've been doing this several times each day now. Before that I rarely had to reboot the phone (maybe once a week).
Avoid this update. Like the plague. Shame on Alcatel / TCL.
Mankann said:
Code:
pm uninstall --user 0 com.package.name
(this uninstalls system apps for the current user, so that they cannot be launched, do not notify about their updates in Google Play, and this works without root)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't work for me:
pm uninstall --user 0 com.jrdcom.filemanager
Error: java.lang.SecurityException: Package null does not belong to 10096
I just bought a U11+ as an upgrade to my U11 and am configuring it, which is taking longer than I expected because neither of the two backups I did (htc's and Backup Your Mobile) installed most of the apps (or their data). Also, I've had two System updates in the last two days.
I got my custom background, the Keep Notes app (plus its data) and Facebook; that's pretty much it.
What did I overlook?
Oh, yeah... I cannot find a setting to keep the display on when powered. Anyone know how to do that?
If you did a jump to a new OS version or device that may be why.
If you did any major firmware updates on the new device, it's factory reset time.
Otherwise clear the system cache.
Manually loading them may be your only option.
Welcome to the fking planet
blackhawk said:
If you did a jump to a new OS version or device that may be why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That occurred to me when I (finally) checked the OS version and saw that it was 8.
I've been getting update notices for the last two days and the most recent one (the third) was the Android 9 OS (update # 2.19.401.2). Where can I check on official updates so I can get an idea when this will stop (because manually looking for updates this morning got me nothing, then I saw the update prompt a couple hours later).
Updated to 9, rebooted and verified that Google Drive is connected, but I'm still not getting Backup & Restore to work. Will have to experiment with the others.
Jeff in 92833 said:
That occurred to me when I (finally) checked the OS version and saw that it was 8.
I've been getting update notices for the last two days and the most recent one (the third) was the Android 9 OS (update # 2.19.401.2). Where can I check on official updates so I can get an idea when this will stop (because manually looking for updates this morning got me nothing, then I saw the update prompt a couple hours later).
Updated to 9, rebooted and verified that Google Drive is connected, but I'm still not getting Backup & Restore to work. Will have to experiment with the others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I learned long ago that if your OS is fast, stable and fulfilling its mission, let it be.
I've been on Pie for 2 years, my last reload was 1.5 years ago, still fast and stable with minimum maintenance. What's not to like?
Unless you start screwing with the firmware and bring in new issues that need fixed.
Security generally isn't an issue unless you do something stupid.
There's no saving dumb bunnies... be careful what you load and download.
blackhawk said:
If you did a jump to a new OS version or device that may be why.
If you did any major firmware updates on the new device, it's factory reset time.
Otherwise clear the system cache.
Manually loading them may be your only option.
Welcome to the fking planet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did a Factory Reset (but it stayed Android 9). I did this because I had 'restored' a lot of files from Backup Your Mobile's (aka BYM) work on my U11.
Two things are bothering me:
1) The HTC Transfer Tool is not working this time (it transfers the PIN Code, but never gets to CONFIRM. After repeated attempts following reboots, etc., I have noticed that the PIN Code sometimes flickers off and back on again; what's up with that?).
2) BYM transferred my SMS and MMS to my U11+, but clicking on a text message that includes an MMS just makes the message thread avatar flicker and stay on the message thread listing (not even a flicker of the thread is displayed).
You mean screen lock codes?
First I don't password lock devices. You're the most likely one to end up getting locked out.
If you do use one I wouldn't attempt to back it up and transfer it. If it gets corrupted what follows won't be fun.
Pie's a good OS.
Clearing the system cache never hurts to try when experiencing glitches.
blackhawk said:
You mean screen lock codes?
First I don't password lock devices. You're the most likely one to end up getting locked out.
If you do use one I wouldn't attempt to back it up and transfer it. If it gets corrupted what follows won't be fun.
Pie's a good OS.
Clearing the system cache never hurts to try when experiencing glitches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I did not mean screen lock codes. The HTC Transfer utility worked the first time I tried it before the Factory Reset, but it's not working now. The PIN Code is displayed on the source phone, but it doesn't activate the confirmation button to do the transfer.
I have since learned that many of the apps that were copied over via Google Play's utility also transferred the data, but not all the apps were transferred.
More research to be done, it seems.
Jeff in 92833 said:
No, I did not mean screen lock codes. The HTC Transfer utility worked the first time I tried it before the Factory Reset, but it's not working now. The PIN Code is displayed on the source phone, but it doesn't activate the confirmation button to do the transfer.
I have since learned that many of the apps that were copied over via Google Play's utility also transferred the data, but not all the apps were transferred.
More research to be done, it seems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My bad... I use Google search a lot and it doesn't need to be that specific model or OS version most times. Many of the issues are long standing. I even use solutions for other manufacturers models. Whatever comes in handy.
And/or just play with it until I work it out.
I haven't used that app. If you upgraded the firmware or are transferring data from another device these kind apps can screw up especially with app settings.
If you're doing a factory reset because of an issue or a crash they can inadvertently reload the root cause of the issue.
It's nice to save the homescreen, theme, icon setting on a reload using these though. Most apps I hand reload/configure or use the app's backup setting file like with Poweramp or DIGI Clock which are very intensive to set from scratch.
Critical data I save in a master backup folder(s) as files. Be ready to reload at any time as most crashes while rare give little or no warning. Redundantly backup critical data to at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other and the PC.
Most times a factory reset is to give the device a clean slate. Looking over app settings while setting them up helps to spot things you may have previously missed. It helps a lot to be familiar with the nuts and bolts at the user interface level. Many times when troubleshooting this is where the answers lurk.
I consider my first load or two on a new phone trail runs. After which it's pretty well sorted out for a clean load. I do the same on PCs. Android's are very forgiving but poorly written apps or the user can still skew hidden user settings that are hard to find/access on a stock device. A stable, fast load is a pleasure to use and will run well for a long time with only simple maintenance on a stock Android.
So far he has deleted all the bookmarks that I saved from this site. The phone RCS doesn't work anymore. They can listen to phone call and terminate them and spoof incoming calls. I sent one phone to Samsung to be reviewed. At the end of 3 week review they sent me a check for the phone and I bought another one from ATT and I still have this problem. So I would appreciate it if someone could give me some direction for this Flip 3. I like the phone. I am a engineer and designed a few devices using ESP32's. So I know how to flash. I just need to lock this phone down and I will deal with the computer problem later...
Infections across multiple platforms is almost unheard of... what did Samsung find?
It isn't an infection. They are exploiting both devices. I run Norton 360 on both systems. It only slowed them down. And they are 24/7 on me like ex NSA. They haven't stolen anything but they are malicious. Samsung never said. The only thing that said is to buy a different phone. ATT has a open fraud case open because they saw the Tag phone and I changed the phone number several times like some drug dealer with different sim cards.
I feel like I am in the movie Enemy of the State except I am Will Smith and Gene Hackman rolled up into one.
cjdee1 said:
It isn't an infection. They are exploiting both devices. I run Norton 360 on both systems. It only slowed them down. And they are 24/7 on me like ex NSA. They haven't stolen anything but they are malicious. Samsung never said. The only thing that said is to buy a different phone. ATT has a open fraud case open because they saw the Tag phone and I changed the phone number several times like some drug dealer with different sim cards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T has an open fraud case on you... or "them"?
Did malicious things? Losing bookmarks is pretty common and usually has nothing to do with being hacked.
Change Google account and password.
Reset all other accounts the same way on a clean Android. Allow no one physical access to the device and most importantly be careful what you install and download.
Most users don't need a hacker to stalk them; they do it themselves by careless installs and downloads. I'll remind you that XDA is a site filled with hackers... mostly peaceful.
I'm sorry for your troubles, most days hacking isn't needed. Really to get into someone's account these days you need personal information which is freely givin on social media and whatnot. You should get with Google and do a massive security checkup. Change password turn on 2FA...the whole swizzle. If all else fails, create a new account completely separate from the affected account/device and start fresh
I opened the Fraud case. They provided the documentation. This has been going on since last year. There was a white paper that came out in November how the media player was being use to hack in. I deal with this problem every day. One would think they would give up. I have another 20 computers in my office that I am replacing once I get my end under control.
Hmm... maybe move all your info to a new account (make the account on a different IP address so like have a friend make it maybe) cuz from my understanding- the hacker finds you on even a new phone? delete the accounts that are being hacked and uh- idk what else really
delete the apps that are being infected
Purge everything from everywhere and start fresh. Honestly Norton and other programs for virus protection aren't really helpful anymore. I do not see a point in using them when Microsoft does a great job just on their own. It's possible that it could be the cause most of the time anti-virus programs that aren't part of the main OS are the problem
Also another note, anything with a Snapdragon and made for the US is locked down. Means no flashing no anything. Best bet for a device us find a good old phone that has a lot of support and flash anything on it
Dr.Lost said:
Also another note, anything with a Snapdragon and made for the US is locked down. Means no flashing no anything. Best bet for a device us find a good old phone that has a lot of support and flash anything on it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go below Android 9 you will introduce a slew of high risk vulnerabilities including some the worst rootkits. If you're really concerned use the latest version of 12 with fully active scoped storage and the mess that it is...
In general don't use wifi on Androids.
Keep bluetooth off if not using.
Install only vetted apps. Scan with online Virustotal.
Keep all downloads in the download folder until vetted. Scripted malware jpegs, pngs are real and may evaded conventional detection. If they get into a database they will raise hell until deleted; open all jpegs in download folder before transferring them and check for changes in that folder
Keep all email in the cloud, avoid downloading any attachments unless absolutely necessary.
If malware is suspected, delete it or factory reset within 2 hours. Reset passwords.
Time stagger backups so they don't all get infected if there is an incident. Backup redundantly to 2 or more hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other and the PC. Use only a known clean PC to access those backups... cross platform malware jumping is rare, cross drive jumping is not.
blackhawk said:
Infections across multiple platforms is almost unheard of... what did Samsung find?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unheard of? Absolutely not, rare on a cell phone, maybe? I don't know really but it is possible especially if OP pissed off the government
Good luck OP
When it comes time to switch to a new phone, ATT should be moving you to a new account with a fresh SIM. Don't transfer anything. Install anything you had fresh and set it up fresh. If they are giving you a new SIM or attaching the new phone to the same account and someone gained access to the account, they're still being fed every new number and IMEI.
As for pictures and stuff, get a USB-C compatible hard drive. Move it to that. Make sure your virus scanner on the computer is updated and either yank the LAN cable or turn off the router before connecting and scanning it. Once it's clean, connect the drive to the new phone and not the computer.
Sounds like someone cloned your ESN and SIM based on what they were doing. Synced items could be manipulated through a PC hack and one good run of the right software with your phone on the same network made it a phone issue.
Oh, and if they didn't or don't already do it, make sure ATT logs your previous devices "lost or stolen" to blacklist the IMEI. That should also make a clone useless for as long as it's a clone.
if you are suspecting a hack, then report to samsung members app > get help > error report asap for help from samsung's hacking issue team
luigi90210 said:
Unheard of? Absolutely not, rare on a cell phone, maybe? I don't know really but it is possible especially if OP pissed off the government
Good luck OP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you download malware files a PC is suspectable to, yes, but generally an infection on an Android doesn't cross platform infect a PC.
It's important to nip any malware in the bud and to isolate that device immediately to limit damage. Any device with malware that I can't erraticate completely within 1 to 2 hours gets nuked, data and all, factory reset. Data is restored then via offline backups.
My PC never has internet access and that's one less huge vector for infection. Even then my backup data drives are isolated from the PC unless in use... multilayered security.
If the DOD, AEC, FBI etc are interested in you, you'll never know it unless they want you to know. When on stake out they always operate as teams. One team is high exposure to gain maximum information and maybe detected but a second picket fence approach team is already in place if the primary team is exposed. Of course they share all knowledge gleaned. The second team you will likely never detect.
Fun fact; field FBI Agents blend in, can be wearing blue jeans, orange vest, 3 piece, anything but low key and drive midrange priced cars that are slightly dirty. The way you ID them is by their behavior and at times location.
If you're not on their menu they may even have a benign friendly conversation with you. They are interesting to chat with.
There is an app on the phone com.qualcomm.atfwd Is that a valid program for this phone. I got my old CDMA phone up on t mobile I had the data turned off because it was useless to me. I came back home and I saw the 2 forks moving. The data was turned on and Norton firewall blocked entry and I had the wifi in airplane mode on the computer. Now I have skills, the average person would never know. This is why I need a phone that I can lock down.
I believe it started with the phone and then I used samsung pc software which hacked the computers that I used. I have all the 25 zip files from one phone before it got a change to load. Anybody interested in them?
The phones have 422 files installed.
cjdee1 said:
There is an app on the phone com.qualcomm.atfwd Is that a valid program for this phone. I got my old CDMA phone up on t mobile I had the data turned off because it was useless to me. I came back home and I saw the 2 forks moving. The data was turned on and Norton firewall blocked entry and I had the wifi in airplane mode on the computer. Now I have skills, the average person would never know. This is why I need a phone that I can lock down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WiFi Screen mirroring.
cjdee1 said:
There is an app on the phone com.qualcomm.atfwd Is that a valid program for this phone. I got my old CDMA phone up on t mobile I had the data turned off because it was useless to me. I came back home and I saw the 2 forks moving. The data was turned on and Norton firewall blocked entry and I had the wifi in airplane mode on the computer. Now I have skills, the average person would never know. This is why I need a phone that I can lock down.
I believe it started with the phone and then I used samsung pc software which hacked the computers that I used. I have all the 25 zip files from one phone before it got a change to load. Anybody interested in them?
The phones have 422 files installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interested in potentiality infected files?
Wanna do malware jpeg swap?
Seriously... scan them with online Virustotal.
I guess that could start over as a last resort. The funny thing is I don't do anything illegal. Who ever it is will be wasting time and costing me time. I am sure they are getting screenshots but I don't think that they do it live. On the PC I have zero'd out the drive but the bios is another way. It started when I backup the phone using different computers on my network.
cjdee1 said:
I guess that could start over as a last resort. The funny thing is I don't do anything illegal. Who ever it is will be wasting time and costing me time. I am sure they are getting screenshots but I don't think that they do it live. On the PC I have zero'd out the drive but the bios is another way. It started when I backup the phone using different computers on my network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the router updated and secured? Lock it down even if you need help to set it up.
On the PC you should try to ID what the malware is and make sure the databases are clean of it before reloading. Protect all backup drives until the PC is known clean.
The bios can easily be reflashed.