AVG says im rooted

[seanjoe]

Hi everyone. I just installed AVG free on my ZTE Warp and it says under settings that I am using a high priveledged mode (rooted). I never rooted the phone and have only had it brand new from boost mobile for a few days now. Any know why?

 

[jerofld]

It sounds like some malware. Malware apps like to root phones in order to secretly download apps and keylog your phone. I would do a factory reset on your phone. The sooner, the better!

Please read http://androidforums.com/android-applications/36936-guide-how-find-safer-trusted-apps.html for information on how to protect yourself from malware.

I haven't heard of a successful attack on a Gingerbread-equipped device, but it certainly does sound like a malware attack.

Also, install the following: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.joeykrim.rootcheck

That'll help you establish if your phone really was rooted. Maybe AVG is wrong.

 

[seanjoe]

Ok I think AVG was wrong. I uninstalled AVG and installed Lookout and it didn't find any malware. I installed the root checker and it says I don't have root access. Thanks for the help.

 

[A.Nonymous]

It sounds like some malware. Malware apps like to root phones in order to secretly download apps and keylog your phone. I would do a factory reset on your phone. The sooner, the better!

Please read http://androidforums.com/android-applications/36936-guide-how-find-safer-trusted-apps.html for information on how to protect yourself from malware.

I haven't heard of a successful attack on a Gingerbread-equipped device, but it certainly does sound like a malware attack.

Also, install the following: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.joeykrim.rootcheck

That'll help you establish if your phone really was rooted. Maybe AVG is wrong.

I've never heard of malware rooting a phone without the user's knowledge. Source?

 

[jerofld]

I've never heard of malware rooting a phone without the user's knowledge. Source?

It's from a few articles from a year ago where this guy downloaded pirated apps, put a rage-against-the-cage exploit into them, tell it to download some keylogger, and then put the apps up as legit apps on the market.

If you Google "rage against the cage malware", you'll find a number of articles on it. Granted, rage against the cage wouldn't work on a Gingerbread phone, and Gingerbreak was fixed in Android 2.3.3, but when a phone shows rooted without actually being rooted, I would personally err on the side of caution.