Help virus on my HTC or am I just a dimwit??

[cheyemoose]

I know this has probably been done but I'm confuuuuuused. I'm not at all techno-knowledgey so hopefully someone can help me.

I've read that it's pretty unlikely that my phone will have a virus, but the other day i was downloading all my photos onto my laptop, and among all the images, every now and then would come up a picture of an old webpage i'd visited. Anyway probably 7 or 8 times my anti-virus would alert me to "malicious software" being transferred from my phone.

Now I'm with vodafone which is absolutely rubbish and I always account anything that screws up on my phone to the shi**y service... but to be honest now I'm not sure...?

Is there any chance my phone has a virus??

 

[D-U-R-X]

I know this has probably been done but I'm confuuuuuused. I'm not at all techno-knowledgey so hopefully someone can help me.

I've read that it's pretty unlikely that my phone will have a virus, but the other day i was downloading all my photos onto my laptop, and among all the images, every now and then would come up a picture of an old webpage i'd visited. Anyway probably 7 or 8 times my anti-virus would alert me to "malicious software" being transferred from my phone.

Now I'm with vodafone which is absolutely rubbish and I always account anything that screws up on my phone to the shi**y service... but to be honest now I'm not sure...?

Is there any chance my phone has a virus??

Hi Cheyemoose!

It is pretty unlikely that an Andoird device would get a virus. All apps run independently from each other (you could say "in their own little bubble"), so a virus wouldn't be able to spread.

It is possible to get malware though... if you are worried, download lookout mobile from the market - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.lookout&feature=search_result.

It's pretty good and you don't have to use the premium (paid for) service. You can use it to scan your device and it will let you know if there's anything wrong!

Lookout also scans apps each time you download something and tells you if it's ok or not.

The images from websites could be something to do with your phone having downloaded them itself - I know mine has done it once or twice... I just delete them from the "downloads" that is on my phone.

Hope this helps!!

 

[Amerie]

I think I remember reading something a while ago about the htc default browser saving images of websites for the bookmarks and history, but I can't remember if it was ever changed. Might explain where they came from anyway.

 

[El Presidente]

I think I remember reading something a while ago about the htc default browser saving images of websites for the bookmarks and history, but I can't remember if it was ever changed. Might explain where they came from anyway.

That's right, I've heard of a few folk who have this issue. No fix I'm afraid.

 

[SB13X]

Hi Cheyemoose!

It is pretty unlikely that an Andoird device would get a virus. All apps run independently from each other (you could say "in their own little bubble&quot, so a virus wouldn't be able to spread.

It is possible to get malware though...

Your are indeed right as far as a virus that would operate on the Android OS however, as the alert is appearing on Cheyemooses computer which I assume is a Windows PC it is quite possible that a PC virus/malware could be lying dormant within the SD Card files. I would hook the phone up in disk drive mode and use your preferred anti-virus software to scan the card.

This should show up the culprit and you can remove from there. Otherwise while this virus/malware is sat on your phone not harming it, you could well be opening your PC up to this every time you hook it up. (Don't forget virus code can be hidden in a wide variety of picture formats.)

 

[D-U-R-X]

Your are indeed right as far as a virus that would operate on the Android OS however, as the alert is appearing on Cheyemooses computer which I assume is a Windows PC it is quite possible that a PC virus/malware could be lying dormant within the SD Card files. I would hook the phone up in disk drive mode and use your preferred anti-virus software to scan the card.

This should show up the culprit and you can remove from there. Otherwise while this virus/malware is sat on your phone not harming it, you could well be opening your PC up to this every time you hook it up. (Don't forget virus code can be hidden in a wide variety of picture formats.)

Ah Stu - the voice of someone with a bit of technical savvy!

I'll have to try remember this for future... guess the giveaway was when the PC picked it up!

Wouldn't Lookout (or something similar) have picked up something potentially harmful that was on the phone/SD card?

 

[SB13X]

Ah Stu - the voice of someone with a bit of technical savvy!

I'll have to try remember this for future... guess the giveaway was when the PC picked it up!

Wouldn't Lookout (or something similar) have picked up something potentially harmful that was on the phone/SD card?

Not really as LookOut doesn't look for anything virus based just malware (and only known ones at that) so its looking for applications with erroneous system privelages such as an app with cake recipes wanting full access to your phonebook/dialer/sms. Another point is LookOut won't pick up non market based app downloads that are malware, unless it follows an already recognised algorithm and pattern of operation that has just been repackaged. And is solely for the protection of the Android OS. Not Windows.