"Best Deals" malware?

[stuart12]

Hi All,
I need some help if anyone has a minute... I've searched the forums but can't find anything.

A couple of days ago, I got a notification about an update required. However I'm concerned it's malware so need some advice about whether it is or not, and if so, what to do:

• The notification wasn't the usual Play Store one, it was something I haven't seen before.
• The update is for an app called "Best Deals", 602KB v2.0. I've never installed this app.
• The only options are "Later" or "Install (1)". If I choose Later, it tells me that the update has been postponed and it goes away but returns 24 hours later - there's no option to refuse the update.
• Best Deals doesn't appear in my apps.

I've got AVG Free installed and running but when I do a scan it doesn't find anything.

HTC Desire X
Android 4.0.4

Thanks in advance for any assistance. I'm slightly more than newbie level but not much...
Stuart.

 

[Digital Controller]

Have you checked in your Settings > Applications and seen if you can uninstall this app?

I would try to do that before anything. This app does sound sort of suspicious.

 

[electricpete]

dc - The question: which App to uninstall - he has no Best Deals App.

In my version of Android (4.3), if you long press on a notification, it will pull up an option for "App Info" which tells you something about the App that generated the notification. Do that and if you're lucky it'll tell you which app is causing this notification.

 

[stuart12]

Thanks for your replies both of you - it's much appreciated. In fact, I was referring to the apps list from the bottom centre of the screen, where it doesn't appear. But electricpete is right - it isn't on Settings > Applications either (or it's not called Best Deals).

I've now lost the notification by tapping Later, so I'll wait 24 hours (well, about 21 now) and then try the long press as you suggest.

 

[WoohooGuy]

Check the list of device administrators, if the rouge app has been granted admin privileges then it would be able to hide its self.

 

[boathead]

avg took over my pc once. on a chance, uninstall avg and see if the notification doesn't go away. imo avg inserts far more malware than it stops.

 

[stuart12]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for the suggestions. The plot is now developing...

I tried the long push idea yesterday and it didn't work - I guess the version of Android is too old.

But today, the update / app install started automatically and the notification now says it's finished. As a result, it now appears on both app lists (though not in My Apps in Play Store). But when I look at the screen for the app (not sure what it's called), the Uninstall button is greyed out.

The only two Device administrators are AVG Anti-Theft service and Android Device Manager, so I assume that's OK. Neither of them are ticked.

However, on further investigation, I came across this link (HTC 'Best Deals' service to arrive on One S, X and X+ | Android Central). It doesn't mention the Desire X and it doesn't mention my country (Switzerland) but the article is more than a year old so I guess they've gradually been extending the "service".

I've sent HTC a mail - they haven't replied yet but I'm fairly sure this is the answer. I'm not very happy... I don't want the app on my phone, I didn't authorise the permissions it's got and for it to just turn up without warning seems unprofessional. I'll buy a Samsung next time... (which would hopefully mean that Bluetooth works properly, I can select the keyboard layout I want, etc.)

Thanks again.

 

[Digital Controller]

I really don't know if Samsung will help, they have a decent amount of apps that they throw on your android device as well.

You can root your device to try and remove this bloat

 

[dibblebill]

I recommend doing what I did. Get yourself a HTC One and simply wipe Sense out Samsung's got just as much bloat, if not more. A Samsung ROM can run about 800MB or more just for its core system.