Help Browser Hijacker in Chinese

[Straydog]

I've got a Firefox hijacker. I don't understand the hijackerr's interest because it changed everything on the browser to Chinese and I have my phone on English 2070.

I can't use the browser because I don't understand a single character. I do not know what to do to get rid of this. I uninstalled Firefox and reinstalled a fresh copy from Google Play and nothing changed, but what I believe I have to do is to kill the hacker for good. This started when a shortcut was installed on the home screen when I was on Wi-Fi. There is some text but I do not know what it is. Maybe someone knowing Chinese could help. Please see the icon picture, it has some Characters underneath. when I tap it it launches Firefox and turns the camera and the light on, but tit can't record anything.

How can I get rid of this, please?

 

[guppy0130]

Based on the icon, it looks like a QR code reader or something. Have you installed anything recently? If so, uninstall and reboot, and see if that solves the issue. If it doesn't work, then let me know.

 

[Straydog]

Yes, the icon has a QR code background, but it is not any QR code in itself. It is rather a door spy eye. I only install what I am sure to be safe and I did NOT install anything myself lately. You know that a browser hijacker installs itself without invitation. You did not try to help me with the text on the icon or on anything else I asked.

Is there someone knowing Chinese or who could help otherwise, please?

 

[electricpete]

I uninstalled Firefox and reinstalled a fresh copy

When you uninstalled it, did you push the "clear data" before you pushed "uninstall"?
I think that might give better chance to get rid of the nasty uninvited guest.

Maybe (longshot) also try clearing the whole cache after Firefox uninstall and before reinstall.

Also maybe see if AV program like Lookout picks up anything.

Last resort of course, try factory reset (with lots of work to set up your phone again afterwards). Or maybe try another browser instead.

 

[Straydog]

Thanks for replying, electricpete.

When you uninstalled it, did you push the "clear data" before you pushed "uninstall"?
I think that might give better chance to get rid of the nasty uninvited guest.

Maybe (longshot) also try clearing the whole cache after Firefox uninstall and before reinstall.

I did clear the data before uninstalling, which also clears the cache. Sorry if I should have written that on my starting post.

I don't know how to clear the whole cache. I am an old desktops user, but fresh on smart phones.

Also maybe see if AV program like Lookout picks up anything.

I scanned with Lookout, Avast, Trust and Bitdefender. Only the last one found a pkg.apk file as a threat. Itried to delete it, but it sent a message "pkg.apk could not be deleted". I googled and found that it was used on rooted phones, but mune is not rooted. I don't know whether it is a system file, but I believe it is not and don't know how to delete it. It might be connected to this issue.

Last resort of course, try factory reset (with lots of work to set up your phone again afterwards). Or maybe try another browser instead.

A factory reset is the last thing I will do because of what you mentioned. I use Firefox since it was launched and have it synced with to PCs.


I can't do anything because I do not understand Chinese, so anything I do is a blind shot in the dark


Edit
I found how to clear the whole cache after Firefox uninstall, as you recommended, on a thread on this forum, did it and it worked! It is no longer hijacked! Now I only need to be sure about that pkg.apk and how to delete it. I like to have any device clean, I always have on PCs.