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Possible Malware pop-up on tablet

D

Duffman

Lurker
My question: are there virus' or Malware that can put pop ups on your home screen?


My story: I was using my tablet and suddenly a pop up came up on my home screen. It said that there was a virus on my "generic android device" and it suggested I go to a website and perform a scan to get rid of it.
The pop up not only used the word "generic" but it didn't have any name on it. The headline was just "anti virus protection". It looked a lot like the virus/Malware pop ups I would get on my computers and once you click on it or go to the website, it starts messing with your computer. So I didn't touch it, I just pressed the home button. The pop up disappeared but my chrome browser opened and took me to a plain website that told me I have the virus "tapsnake". Which I have never downloaded nor heard of until after I googled it. And to "protect my generic android device". I closed the browser and tried to do some research on this but couldn't find any.

The details: I am using a non rooted, up to date, 32g Asus nexus 7 tablet. Not sure if that matters but w/e

I only download from Google play store. The only app I know to be a problem is "music paradise" it puts pop ups in my notification bar. But never anything like this.


I have always used avg free anti virus free for tablets. I downloaded it the day I got my tablet, and shortly after I got this pop up I downloaded Sophos security free. Avg has always called Music Paradise "intrusive software" but never Malware or a virus. Sophos didn't detect any threats at all when it scanned.

I have a screenshot of the website (not the pop up unfortunately, wasn't thinking) and the address to the website.

I would've just posted those with a couple questions, but this forum is telling me as a new member I cannot. Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading.
 
Welcome to the forums!
this behavior itself is no malware, some aggresive apps use pop-up ads, write bookmarks to your browser, or place shortcuts to advertised websites to homescreen. Sometimes the ads redirect you to some fake site, you're told your phone has been infected and you need to buy their anrivirus, the app downloaded from such sites is either 100% useless or malware (mostly both).
Google has decided to not allow the pop-up ads this this or last week, developers has 1 month to remove pop-up ads.
 
kejlyCZ said:
Welcome to the forums!
this behavior itself is no malware, some aggresive apps use pop-up ads, write bookmarks to your browser, or place shortcuts to advertised websites to homescreen. Sometimes the ads redirect you to some fake site, you're told your phone has been infected and you need to buy their anrivirus, the app downloaded from such sites is either 100% useless or malware (mostly both).
Google has decided to not allow the pop-up ads this this or last week, developers has 1 month to remove pop-up ads.
Click to expand...


Thanks, and thanks for the reply. I've experienced all of the things you mentioned
In your post. The links, the ads, the bookmarks. But this was a full on 15-20 percent of my screen taken by this pop up. Not only that, it re-directed me without me ever touching/ clicking on it. That's pretty aggressive.

But anyways, it doesn't seem to be affecting anything at the moment. So thanks again for the reply but I'll forget about it unless it does something again.
 
You don't have to put up with it: install an app called Addons Detector, do a scan and see whether you have any apps which are using Push Notifications. Uninstall and apps that are using this and the problem will go away.
 
yeah and id defo ditch the music app until its cleaned up. its pretty hard to get an android virus if youre moderately careful. This is just shameful advertising :D
 
Hadron said:
You don't have to put up with it: install an app called Addons Detector, do a scan and see whether you have any apps which are using Push Notifications. Uninstall and apps that are using this and the problem will go away.
Click to expand...

Downloaded and scanned. Yep music paradise uses the push software. My problem is I love the app too much to get rid of it. I appreciate the app and the advice. If it gets worse I will Def get rid of it. But I can't turn down free music hah.
 
funkylogik said:
yeah and id defo ditch the music app until its cleaned up. its pretty hard to get an android virus if youre moderately careful. This is just shameful advertising :D
Click to expand...

Haha yeah, and I wish they would get rid of this crap. But for dling free music, I'll put up with it for now.
 
Youtube is excellent for gettin free music from. Theyve removed the downloader app from Play though. Its available from other sources of course but that opens you up to malware :banghead:
 
Haha yeah Ofc. I actually had no idea there was a downloader for YouTube. But I really like this one cause it's quick and easy.
 
Duffman said:
My question: are there virus' or Malware that can put pop ups on your home screen?


My story: I was using my tablet and suddenly a pop up came up on my home screen. It said that there was a virus on my "generic android device" and it suggested I go to a website and perform a scan to get rid of it.
The pop up not only used the word "generic" but it didn't have any name on it. The headline was just "anti virus protection". It looked a lot like the virus/Malware pop ups I would get on my computers and once you click on it or go to the website, it starts messing with your computer. So I didn't touch it, I just pressed the home button. The pop up disappeared but my chrome browser opened and took me to a plain website that told me I have the virus "tapsnake". Which I have never downloaded nor heard of until after I googled it. And to "protect my generic android device". I closed the browser and tried to do some research on this but couldn't find any.

The details: I am using a non rooted, up to date, 32g Asus nexus 7 tablet. Not sure if that matters but w/e

I only download from Google play store. The only app I know to be a problem is "music paradise" it puts pop ups in my notification bar. But never anything like this.


I have always used avg free anti virus free for tablets. I downloaded it the day I got my tablet, and shortly after I got this pop up I downloaded Sophos security free. Avg has always called Music Paradise "intrusive software" but never Malware or a virus. Sophos didn't detect any threats at all when it scanned.

I have a screenshot of the website (not the pop up unfortunately, wasn't thinking) and the address to the website.

I would've just posted those with a couple questions, but this forum is telling me as a new member I cannot. Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading.
Click to expand...

In the Windows world this sounds a lot like the old scam where a virus or Trojan produces a pop up advising you are infected. it takes you to a site where you get to pay to remove the mess the 'service' loaded in the first place. I once had a version of this virus brick a PC. It turned off my Webroot anti virus, refused to left me do a system recovery, and locked me onto that specific screen. My only fix was to do an entire HD erase using 3rd party software and a reload of the operating system (XP) and each program I owned and used, a two day labor intensive event. This virus was dumped on my machine from a news site where I was following the green revolt in Iran half a decade ago. I believe it was a state sponsored attack as I know another person who got the same virus from a different site while watching the same news. My anti-Virus company was completely worthless when I went to them for help. I was on my own.

Never, ever open anything associated with that pop up. try a reboot, update your anti virus and then run the deepest sweep you can.

I have no idea what the best android based anti virus is but it might be worth while to ask around. I use Lookout on my phone and my wife's tablet.
 
Duffman said:
Downloaded and scanned. Yep music paradise uses the push software. My problem is I love the app too much to get rid of it. I appreciate the app and the advice. If it gets worse I will Def get rid of it. But I can't turn down free music hah.
Click to expand...

Try Pandora...You can get it add free for a small fee
 
JIMV said:
In the Windows world this sounds a lot like the old scam where a virus or Trojan produces a pop up advising you are infected. it takes you to a site where you get to pay to remove the mess the 'service' loaded in the first place. I once had a version of this virus brick a PC. It turned off my Webroot anti virus, refused to left me do a system recovery, and locked me onto that specific screen. My only fix was to do an entire HD erase using 3rd party software and a reload of the operating system (XP) and each program I owned and used, a two day labor intensive event. This virus was dumped on my machine from a news site where I was following the green revolt in Iran half a decade ago. I believe it was a state sponsored attack as I know another person who got the same virus from a different site while watching the same news. My anti-Virus company was completely worthless when I went to them for help. I was on my own.

Never, ever open anything associated with that pop up. try a reboot, update your anti virus and then run the deepest sweep you can.

I have no idea what the best android based anti virus is but it might be worth while to ask around. I use Lookout on my phone and my wife's tablet.
Click to expand...


That is exactly what I was thinking. I didn't think there was anything that advanced on android yet though which is why I started the thread. Thanks for the advice :)
 
yeah android and windws are very different. You cant just get a virus from the web, you have to choose to install something. In Security settings theres a checkbox "unknown sources". If thats unchecked the device wont install anything thats not from Google Play :thumbup:
Mine is constantly checked and the only time i think ive caught something nasty was when i used to install pirated apps :thumbup:
(Play isnt completely safe though but i dont get paranoid about that)
 
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