October 23, 2017 at 14:11How quickly can you infect your phone with a virus, and what will happen to it after that?
Smartphones and mobile communications are still shrouded in various myths and prejudices. It is said that tumors form from telephone conversations, the communication signal weakens during movement, and base stations kill people. In the next series of articles, Yota learns that this is true, not sparing their own employees and their smartphones.
Malicious programs can write off funds from a bank card, extract personal information, lock the screen and turn a smartphone into a brick - this is not a myth at all. We decided to check how easy it is to infect the phone with a virus.
We tried to infect the smartphone, after disabling the antivirus and protective functions. The victim was the Motorola Moto G3 on the Android 6.0.1 platform.
The first attempts were unsuccessful:
Leaving no hope of turning the device into a brick, we decided to install the KingRoot hacked root on the phone.
Root on Android - these are the rights of the main administrator, which open up the possibilities for controlling the device that are not accessible to the average user. To get the root, you must install a special application.
The infected KingRoot contains malicious code that steals user data.
And then a surprise awaited us. Of all the variety of devices on Android, this utility is not installed on our Motorola Moto G3!
Desperate, we ask friends and colleagues to forward all dubious SMS and letters with links to our number. After clicking on one of the links, we find here is a pop-up window:
Confirm the action.
After that, the Playmarket opens with a proposal to install Doctor Clean. It promises to speed up the system, delete unnecessary files and save battery. But the reviews hint that something is wrong with him.
Doctor Clean asks for access to all available phone features. After permission, he installs two more applications for “Acceleration” and “Go to sleep”. One of these programs installs two more applications.
The next day we get an ad that covers the entire screen. Each time after unlocking the screen, we see another colorful banner. In order to answer an incoming call, we have to look for a cross that minimizes advertising. Along with this, the smartphone starts to work more slowly. Periodically, the lock screen stops responding to touch. Reboot helps reboot the device.
After that, they installed Kaspersky Anti-Virus, but it did not find anything. Meanwhile, the phone starts to slow down a lot. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware found five issues. All strange applications have been deleted.
It turned out that installing malware on the phone is not so easy: the system, built-in security applications and antiviruses successfully recognize it and carefully protect us. To infect the phone, you must carefully ignore all system warnings and disable the protective functions in advance.
It used to be easier to download malware. Now all applications in PlayMarket and AppStore are audited. In order to install an unofficial application, you will have to disable the download function in the settings only from trusted sources.
How to understand that there is a virus on a smartphone?
SMS, messages in the mail and instant messengers with dubious links.
They disguise themselves as job offers, letters from the police, alerts from antiviruses, sales in online stores, and so on. In the text of each of them there is an incomprehensible link, which you must go to in order to find out the "details".
Clicked on the link - the virus began to download.
Downloading unlicensed programs and dubious applications.
Together with them, related malware is often installed on the phone.
Public wifi.
Through unprotected Wi-Fi access points, viruses intercept users' personal information to access personal accounts and system data of the smartphone.
Sites and forums with pop-ups and banners.
They offer "download quickly and without registration" anything by clicking on the link.
Often banners look like “warnings from the Ministry of Internal Affairs” or notifications “Your phone is infected with a virus!”. Their goal is to wreak havoc on the user so that they immediately follow the link, transfer money to the ransomware account, or enter the password for their personal account.
Infected flash drives.
Sometimes malware disguised as an application is stored on a memory card. When you insert an old flash drive into a new smartphone, you infect it.
How fast is it?
The viruses themselves weigh a little. Depending on the speed of the Internet connection, the “infection” gets into the phone in the interval from a couple of seconds to 5 minutes.
What happens if the virus nevertheless enters the device? For example, you agree to update the Chrome browser, forgetting that you did not install it.
What happens next
How to understand that the phone is infected:
The entire screen is covered by a banner with obscene content, advertising or a demand for money. But occasionally users are "lucky" and cats are shown on the banner.
Where to look for malware and how to distinguish it from a normal application?
Most often, they are disguised as regular applications with the .apk extension and saved to the Download folder.
You should be wary if during installation an unfamiliar application requests access to paid functions and restrict access:
Malicious programs can write off funds from a bank card, extract personal information, lock the screen and turn a smartphone into a brick - this is not a myth at all. We decided to check how easy it is to infect the phone with a virus.
We tried to infect the smartphone, after disabling the antivirus and protective functions. The victim was the Motorola Moto G3 on the Android 6.0.1 platform.
The first attempts were unsuccessful:
- Clicked on external links from the site Kinogo22.net for the query “Watch It online in good quality” - to no avail,
- Download jokes from freesoft.ru/prikoly/download - there are jokes, there are no viruses,
- We went to watchmygirlfriend.gfpornbox.com and followed the links - there are no viruses (no, this is not an ad).
- We were looking for free games on dubious sites - all the proposed options were official.
- From the links for the query “Naked photos of stars”, nothing criminal was downloaded either.
- After a couple of days of searching for malware, we received an SMS with a tempting offer to implement an “exchange with surcharge” and eagerly clicked on the attached link. Failed to connect to the site, “server not found”.
- We went to the site with a dubious draw. Answered at random all the questions, won. Still would. :) A letter confirming the prize should have arrived at the address indicated by us. But did not come.
Leaving no hope of turning the device into a brick, we decided to install the KingRoot hacked root on the phone.
Root on Android - these are the rights of the main administrator, which open up the possibilities for controlling the device that are not accessible to the average user. To get the root, you must install a special application.
The infected KingRoot contains malicious code that steals user data.
And then a surprise awaited us. Of all the variety of devices on Android, this utility is not installed on our Motorola Moto G3!
Desperate, we ask friends and colleagues to forward all dubious SMS and letters with links to our number. After clicking on one of the links, we find here is a pop-up window:
Confirm the action.
After that, the Playmarket opens with a proposal to install Doctor Clean. It promises to speed up the system, delete unnecessary files and save battery. But the reviews hint that something is wrong with him.
Doctor Clean asks for access to all available phone features. After permission, he installs two more applications for “Acceleration” and “Go to sleep”. One of these programs installs two more applications.
The next day we get an ad that covers the entire screen. Each time after unlocking the screen, we see another colorful banner. In order to answer an incoming call, we have to look for a cross that minimizes advertising. Along with this, the smartphone starts to work more slowly. Periodically, the lock screen stops responding to touch. Reboot helps reboot the device.
After that, they installed Kaspersky Anti-Virus, but it did not find anything. Meanwhile, the phone starts to slow down a lot. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware found five issues. All strange applications have been deleted.
It turned out that installing malware on the phone is not so easy: the system, built-in security applications and antiviruses successfully recognize it and carefully protect us. To infect the phone, you must carefully ignore all system warnings and disable the protective functions in advance.
It used to be easier to download malware. Now all applications in PlayMarket and AppStore are audited. In order to install an unofficial application, you will have to disable the download function in the settings only from trusted sources.
How to understand that there is a virus on a smartphone?
SMS, messages in the mail and instant messengers with dubious links.
They disguise themselves as job offers, letters from the police, alerts from antiviruses, sales in online stores, and so on. In the text of each of them there is an incomprehensible link, which you must go to in order to find out the "details".
Clicked on the link - the virus began to download.
Downloading unlicensed programs and dubious applications.
Together with them, related malware is often installed on the phone.
Public wifi.
Through unprotected Wi-Fi access points, viruses intercept users' personal information to access personal accounts and system data of the smartphone.
Sites and forums with pop-ups and banners.
They offer "download quickly and without registration" anything by clicking on the link.
Often banners look like “warnings from the Ministry of Internal Affairs” or notifications “Your phone is infected with a virus!”. Their goal is to wreak havoc on the user so that they immediately follow the link, transfer money to the ransomware account, or enter the password for their personal account.
Infected flash drives.
Sometimes malware disguised as an application is stored on a memory card. When you insert an old flash drive into a new smartphone, you infect it.
How fast is it?
The viruses themselves weigh a little. Depending on the speed of the Internet connection, the “infection” gets into the phone in the interval from a couple of seconds to 5 minutes.
What happens if the virus nevertheless enters the device? For example, you agree to update the Chrome browser, forgetting that you did not install it.
What happens next
How to understand that the phone is infected:
- Money runs out quickly on the phone. At the same time, SMS that you did not send and calls that you did not make are displayed in the details.
- Traffic is consumed by obscure applications.
- The speed of the smartphone drops, it heats up, quickly discharges, applications are “buggy” and do not open. Malicious programs run in the background, causing the device to work with a vengeance.
The entire screen is covered by a banner with obscene content, advertising or a demand for money. But occasionally users are "lucky" and cats are shown on the banner.
Where to look for malware and how to distinguish it from a normal application?
Most often, they are disguised as regular applications with the .apk extension and saved to the Download folder.
You should be wary if during installation an unfamiliar application requests access to paid functions and restrict access:
- View and send SMS,
- Telephone calls
- Access to linked bank cards,
- Obtaining administrator rights.
- If the application is not downloaded from the official store and asks for access to confidential data - be sure this is a virus.
