Random apps keep installing by themselves

shalmu · Feb 24, 2014

Something is wrong.
I do nothing and once a day I see a new app is installed on my phone.
It's the same as here:
http://androidforums.com/samsung-ga...ve-ads-random-apps-installing-themselves.html

but it's even worse: I made a factory reset, then installed only a couple of the most important apps. After that, a month later, it began again. Is it a virus? I don't know, because I install "Avast!" - no warninds, then "Lookout" - it also says no malware is found. The programs it installs look fine, they are not malware at all.

What should I do now? Should I report to any antivirus company?

codesplice · Feb 24, 2014

Is there any rhyme or reason to the apps? What are some of them named? Are they actually installed (that is, do they show up under Settings -> Applications) or are they just homescreen shortcuts to websites (for instance)?

shalmu · Feb 24, 2014

codesplice, they are actually installed, downloaded and if I accidentally stare to my screen at the very moment, I can see how antivirus scans it! And yes, it is in applications, and I need to uninstall it.
Some of them are:
* mobogenie (I hate this one especially, because I remove it and it keeps installing again and again)
* Du Speed Booster,
* One "kind of" antivirus, don't remember which, an icon with a blue shield.
and lots more.

I think it's a black method to increment the "downloaded" number on Play, moving it to the top, isn't it?

shalmu · Feb 24, 2014

The thing is I have never seen these apps before! This is the way I have learnt about their existence.

funkylogik · Feb 24, 2014

Thats mega strange. No app should ever install without you physically accepting it.
In Security settings, do you have "unknown scurces" checked/ticked?
Are these apps in your app manager? (Settings, Applications)?

codesplice · Feb 24, 2014

I know a lot of websites will try to "encourage" (I mean TRICK) you into downloading the Mobogenie app. The app isn't malicious in its self, but automatically downloading and installing is an exceptionally shady tactic. As funkylogik mentioned, be sure to uncheck the "Unknown sources" option in Settings > Security to prevent the installation of applications from outside the official Play Store.

PS - I've seen it reported in some places that Mobogenie will try to hide itself under Settings > Applications by using the same name and icon as the default Downloads application. So if you see two of those listed, let us know and we'll help you choose which to uninstall

shalmu · Feb 24, 2014

In Security settings, do you have "unknown scurces" checked/ticked?
Are these apps in your app manager? (Settings, Applications)?

Yes I do and yes they are, so I need to uninstall them every time!

I know a lot of websites will try to "encourage" (I mean TRICK) you into downloading the Mobogenie app.

I never visit sites like these and I don't think they can trick me - I am not a newbie, I am a software developer with 10 year of experience. I never heard of Mobogenie before I have seen it in my Applications list

See what I have discovered at mobogenie Google Play page:

Recently we have understood that some of our users have been troubled by the automatic download of Mobogenie on to their Android Phones. While it has never been our intention to spam any user, we would like to apologise to them for the same. Having learnt that there was a technical issue with one of our promotional partners, we are trying our best to fix it at the earliest.
Team Mobogenie keeps a close eye on all its promotions, and recommends the download of Mobogenie application only from reliable sources such as Google Play, Mobogenie.com and other partner networks. We ensure that there shall be no more inconvenience caused to any Android user in future.
If you face this Problem or anything similar Issues again, Please write to us with the below details.
1. Website / app / Name that forced you to install Mobogenie automatically
2. Screenshot of the site you are visiting
3. Any other means; mobogenie is automatically downloading

How do you like it, huh? Attack is the best form of defense, you see.

funkylogik · Feb 24, 2014

Thats crazy lol. I can understand something downloading automatically but not installing itself.
Id uncheck unknown sources until you get to the bottom of it. Surely its a dodgy installed app causing it?

Hadron · Feb 24, 2014

If you go into the Play Store app, do they show in the My Apps list? If so, change your Google password.

(Just trying to think of how apps can really be installed without your accepting it, and one way is if someone has your Google login. Unlikely, but just trying to cover all bases).

shalmu · Feb 24, 2014

Mobogenie will try to hide itself under Settings > Applications by using the same name and icon as the default Downloads application.

No, there is only one. And I think it's the genuine one, because it does not allow to uninstall itself.

Surely its a dodgy installed app causing it

But which one? Since the last reboot, I have installed only 10 apps, half of them after this alien activity. Do you want me to list all of them? I can.

shalmu · Feb 24, 2014

Hadron, you know what, they are not listed there! The list contains all the apps that I have installed even before the factory reset I did a couple of months ago, but these mobogenies and du-boosters are not there!
It is quite interesting. Means these installs do not increase their download counter and do not move them to the tops. Which is good news I guess.

Hadron · Feb 25, 2014

It at least means that they are not using your Google account to push them there - which is good news.

Also that turning off the option to install from unknown sources will stop this, though ideally we'd like to find out what the cause is.

shalmu · Feb 25, 2014

Of course this option is off, I performed all traditional security actions I could in the first place, only when it didn't work I posted the question here.
I try to think the way the villain does: if I wrote this kind of malware, I would make it disable this option for a moment, install the app and then enable "no unknown sources" again, so I'm afraid it's not a barrier for it at all.

The only option I see now is to inform Avast or Lookout or any other antivirus company about this issue and to let them access my phone, so that they could nail this disgusting louse! I'll do it today. If none of them is interested, I do a full factory reset.

Hadron · Feb 25, 2014

Well if you only installed 10 apps, half after this started, why not list them. That will give us starting point.

If the app managed to install something without intervention then the permissions list may help us narrow it down.

shalmu · Feb 25, 2014

Avast!
Addons Detector
Kitchen Timer
Any.Do
Springpad
Digi Clock Widget
Common Analog Synth
Shazam
CPU Prime Benchmark
Lookout (replaced Avast)
Cool Reader

Avast cound not detect the malware, so I replaced it with Lookout in hope that it will do better, but it didn't. Both assure everything is ok.

Sonnydigs · Feb 25, 2014

shalmu said:
Avast!

Addons Detector

Kitchen Timer

Any.Do

Springpad

Digi Clock Widget

Common Analog Synth

Shazam

CPU Prime Benchmark

Lookout (replaced Avast)

Cool Reader

Avast cound not detect the malware, so I replaced it with Lookout in hope that it will do better, but it didn't. Both assure everything is ok.

I have Avast, Shazam and lookout..
No problems..
Good luck and keep us posted, please..

Hadron · Feb 25, 2014

I have Addons Detector. No problems there. Have used Cool Reader without problems in the past. Likewise Any.Do.

There are a lot of apps called Kitchen Timer, so we'll need the dev name to say anything about that. Likewise Digi Clock Widget. In fact I found 2 CPU Prime Benchmark apps, but one of those doesn't even have Internet access so couldn't be the problem.

Common Analogue Synth has Internet access but nothing else. Of the others, Springpad has the longest permissions list, but the benchmark app is also capable of downloads.

None of the ones I've looked at should be able to modify system settings (apart from Avast and Lookout). A couple can install shortcuts (Any.Do & Springpad).

Apart from the 2 I couldn't identify none of these is obviously capable of doing this (well the security apps could - those things can do anything - but I'm confident neither of those is the problem). Be good to check the other widgets though.

Not gone as far as installing these apps myself, yet.

shalmu · Feb 25, 2014

I checked Kitchen Timer (package path is "com.leinardi.kitchentimer"), it requires "Storage", "Hardware controls" and "System tools" only, no Network.
Digi Clock (com.zapine.digiclockwidget) doesn't seem to have any permissions at all.

That does it, I am doing a factory reset.

funkylogik · Feb 25, 2014

Ive used digiclock for years with no problems.
Mmm im gona check out the synth. Im an acid house fan. Does it sound ok?
EDIT mm it does

shalmu · Feb 26, 2014

Does it sound ok?

It's awful, but it has an excellent pure and fat sawtooth wave, just what I need to do a "talkbox" - while playing the note, I snuggle my lips to the phone loudspeaker and articulate it. Sounds almost as my big HeilSound TalkBox!

By the way, I made a factory reset. Nothing downloads anymore, so quiet, so calm...

Jurgster · May 26, 2015

So looking for a solutions to the same problem I so far have only found this post as the most developed. My studies to the problem had resulted that due to two apps running in the background of my tablet
1)TimeService=com.android.hardware.ext0
2)Monkeytest=com.android.wp.net.log
The first calls one process to it's needs.
The second calling three other processes.

Now I am looking for a culprit for the attack and am somewhat schoked at the thought that all my apps came from google play store.

Jurgster · May 27, 2015

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

The link to an app that confirmed those two processes are Trojans. Now I have to find a way to purge the system from the guests. Normal deinstallation recently don't work as the app hopes.

Tegr96 · May 29, 2015

Mobogenie is a curse!

I bought a Lenovo A850i of Aliexpress about a year ago for my father who is a senior in 60s, it is a wonderful phone for the price, but this problem of apps installing by themselves is getting in my nerves!
I think the culprit app is in the stock rom!
I deleted nearly all of the apps months ago, even the stock phone app and had no luck solving this, I flashed the available stock rom and deleted the fake download.apk and the problem came back worse playing loud ads suddenly at the middle of the night.
I also think it is timeservice app, as there are 2 of them about 830 kb and another about 1.15 mb
I am also getting monkeytest and few others
I have noticed before in forums that there are people who defend mobogenie, I think they might be working for them, as this app is a real spam, it is enough that they are named as download.apk and keeps coming back after uninstalling. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone defending them after my post.
If anyone has a solution, please share it.

funkylogik · May 30, 2015

I'm not defending them in any way but I'm pretty sure Android just wont/can't install an app without express permission from the user.
So are apps actually installing themselves on your dad's phone?
Have you tried clearing data in all installed browsers?

mikedt · May 30, 2015

It is in the ROM.
Chinese phone with a Chinese app store sold by a Chinese vendor.

You can disable and hide it from the app settings, so it won't bother you again.

Random apps keep installing by themselves

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