Help Can you stop malware from running by disabling the app associated with it?

[GaryOakPR]

I have a Bluboo Maya, which is a a budget Chinese phone that runs Android 6.0 and works well especially for its price. It is unrooted. Now the problem I've been having is that after a Factory Reset, I would occasionally get popup ads which hasn't happened before and sometimes these apps would download without my approval. With various anti-virus apps, I've found that the problem lies within the pre-installed apps themselves. Malwarebytes detected two apps that cause the problem: SCWeather and Wireless Update. Another antivirus app detected another app for Adware: Bluboo BeautySnap.

SCWeather has Android/Trojan.HiddenApp.ck detected in /system/priv-app/KST_LTX_SCweather/KST_LTX_SCweather.apk
Wireless Update has Android/PUP.Adware.YeMobi.a detected in /system/app/AdupsFota/AdupsFota.apk
Bluboo BeautySnap has TapJoy type adware detected in it.

As all of these are system apps I can't uninstall them. After all 3 were detected, I've immediately disabled them in Apps under System Settings. So far I haven't noticed any ads but that can change. My question is that will keeping them disabled like this also prevent the malware from running at all or is it absolutely necessary that I root to uninstall them? What other measures can I take before making the decision to root?

 

[steiny180]

Have a look at NoRoot Firewall. It can allow and deny specific web accesses. You can also see which apps are a requesting specific web accesses. A great little tool I use the hell out of.

 

[lunatic59]

It's hard to tell if they are completely disabled without knowing exactly what the payload was. If it's just the app delivering adware, then disabling the app should stop it, but if it installed an independent app to the system, then probably not.

The thing with these types of devices is often times they come through as part of the ROM. On the other hand, some of these devices are already rooted, even though you may not know it. Give Rootchecker a quick look to see f you have root and then you may be able to rid yourself of this mess. As you found out, a factory reset wont affect system apps.