How do u fix a phone with malware

[maxx2496]

I wanted to bring this up because i have yet to see a resolution anywhere...
Hypothetically speaking, if i were to innocently download an app from the android market and come to find out it is some type of malware, How would i fix my phone? I assume uninstalling the app and doing a complete restore/erase of the device maybe.... To someone who is more knowledgeable, would there be any additional steps to take to ensure that the malware would be rid of? And also, would a complete erase of the phone be necessary? Or just to uninstall the app itself?

 

[chrismmm]

hypothetically speaking. install an appl to id the supposed virus and remove it

 

[nightfishing]

hypothetically speaking. install an app to id the supposed virus and remove it

There are no viruses and therefore any app that would claim to id and remove one is at best bogus and at worst malicious.

If you have an app that is acting maliciously (keylogger etc) removing it should be sufficient. I do not believe there is any way for one app to change any other app or system file on the phone.

The OS is designed for apps to run sandboxed.

 

[Biggest Fro]

...which is why all those "Anti-Virus" apps in the market are 100% worthless.

 

[Nodders]

There are no viruses and therefore any app that would claim to id and remove one is at best bogus and at worst malicious.

If you have an app that is acting maliciously (keylogger etc) removing it should be sufficient. I do not believe there is any way for one app to change any other app or system file on the phone.

The OS is designed for apps to run sandboxed.

Unless you are rooted and an app gets su permission and puts thing where it shouldn't be - in which case things could get nasty. A reflash should do it (could a virus hypothetically get into the bootloader?), but not sure of anything less extreme

 

[bluenova]

Unless you are rooted and an app gets su permission and puts thing where it shouldn't be - in which case things could get nasty. A reflash should do it (could a virus hypothetically get into the bootloader?), but not sure of anything less extreme

+1, an app cannot do any harm unless you give it su permissions.

Just to add rooting your phone does not make it vulnerable either as you still have to specifically give an app permission to use root.