[SOLVED] About PC AV scanning an Android device?

[punkncat]

If you were to connect an Android device to a PC as "USB" and scan the contents there, would PC antivirus even be able to identify any malware or virus there since different OS?

 

[Lutfij]

Why not install Malwarebytes on your Android to scan for any stowaways? Generally the AV shouldn't treat the phone as malware. I haven't had the issue with android phone and Windows Defender.

 

[punkncat]

Why not install Malwarebytes on your Android to scan for any stowaways? Generally the AV shouldn't treat the phone as malware. I haven't had the issue with android phone and Windows Defender.

A work phone we have is infected with "something" and has some information I need to retrieve from the phone before a factory reset. A work order than I cannot duplicate and don't have information on. The particular virus is basically blocking my connecting to the phone and pulling anything across in a copy/paste kind of way unless I turn off all it's communication method (Airplane Mode) and in spite of that aspect I cannot locate the work order based on where internet searches on the program it's in tell me to look.

At the moment if you try to do anything with the phone aside from a phone call, it is popping up random web pages of strange sites. I can "USB connect" the phone but when I try to copy folders it continuously pops up the USB connection settings where you "control with another device/this device" and the allow/deny prompt and will go no further. Even if you "copy" contents, when you move to the location you want to "paste" that command will not come up. Additionally the phone is not allowing proper access to such as Google Store and whatnot.

edit- as additional information, we attempted to go into the "apps" section and disable or uninstall everything we couldn't verify and although it will allow the terminate/stop command basically nothing will uninstall. Attempting to send via email results in an endless "email syncing" loop till restart.

I have not experienced such with a mobile device.

 

[Lutfij]

Quite a predicament you're in.

See if you can follow through with steps here;

How to remove a virus from an Android phone

Wonder whether your Android phone is harboring a virus or other malware? Learn how to detect and remove it.

us.norton.com

and here;
https://www.avg.com/en/signal/remove-phone-virus
in order to get into Safe Mode.

 

[punkncat]

Thank you for the tips @Lutfij. I found a couple of questionable items that we aren't sure what they are but will not allow to uninstall and won't show up on the "app" screen which typically will give a hold and delete option. I just went through and force stopped a bunch of stuff as well and still won't allow me to send or locate that file inside the USB search. Just going to blow it out and start over.

I appreciate the tips.

 

[Lutfij]

You're welcome! Though I don't think that the matter has been resolved and to that effect, me undeserving on the BA award :/

If you didn't need to retrieve data off of it, I'd have said, sterilize it.

 

[punkncat]

You're welcome! Though I don't think that the matter has been resolved and to that effect, me undeserving on the BA award :/

If you didn't need to retrieve data off of it, I'd have said, sterilize it.

To be fair without knowing more about exactly what this is, it may well not be solvable. I wasn't aware that the phones had a "safe mode" option, so that in itself was handy to know. I have never seen an Android malware do more than be irritating and or possibly compromise passwords. This one is going next level so a nuke from orbit and immediate password changes are in order. I got the "best recollection" notes on what was done on the job, so hopefully the site contact will play nice and sign a work order we fax over...which can depend tremendously on whether they are cognizant of the payment follow up as a result.

 

[Lutfij]

I have a Lenovo K5 Play, it's got it's own rendition of the Android OS, it's basically a skin so anyone who see the GUI for the first time, think I'm using another OS entirely, until they go into the inner workings of the phone. I don't know if it has a Safe Mode though thankfully I practice healthy habits with my system and phone.

Agreed, that phone might need the tactical approach and probably a reprimanding to the person who had the phone.

Good luck on the steps you're taking from here on out!

 

[punkncat]

I have a Lenovo K5 Play, it's got it's own rendition of the Android OS, it's basically a skin so anyone who see the GUI for the first time, think I'm using another OS entirely, until they go into the inner workings of the phone. I don't know if it has a Safe Mode though thankfully I practice healthy habits with my system and phone.

Agreed, that phone might need the tactical approach and probably a reprimanding to the person who had the phone.

Good luck on the steps you're taking from here on out!

If nothing else, enabling "Google Play Protect" is a considerable first line defense. The phone had about five of those notorious "face changer" type picture edit apps on it. The Russians are well informed on what that tech was doing, lol.

Thank you again.

 

[Lutfij]

I have to lol to that, for sure!
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Welcome!