Android malware types and removal

[Kulverstukas]

1- Cyanogenmod

Why Cyanogenmod? I know it's great, I used it before, but for a regular phone user stock is sufficient, or is there some hidden thing about it?

[z3ro]

I think you mean turning the gyro into a microphone? It's just a theoretical attack from the snowden leaks, no proof it was ever used or that it works. They probably have much better root backdoors to listen to you from the real microphone.

In terms of removing malware from an android? I'm no expert but from what I understand there are parts of memory that cannot be flashed. I consider them all coming backdoored from the factory anyway.
If you're doing anything that you want to be kept private on an android you are batshit insane.
Like z3ro said buy a Nokia3310.

Nope. Keylogger.. like in KEYLOGGER 
http://www.techhive.com/article/239577/a_smartphone_keylogger_using_the_built_in_gyroscope.html


Maybe there are more 'physical' methods to capture data from a smartphone? Food For Thought.

[techb]

Why Cyanogenmod? I know it's great, I used it before, but for a regular phone user stock is sufficient, or is there some hidden thing about it?

I run stock. But, the only thing I even needed root for was my PS3 controller. It works great for the emulators, I game all night at work.

Although, I don't like lolipop. Running Jellybean, fuck the ram hungry updates. Not to mention the write access it fucks over. Wanna FTP??? Lolipop says fuck you....

[d4rkcat]

Nope. Keylogger.. like in KEYLOGGER 
http://www.techhive.com/article/239577/a_smartphone_keylogger_using_the_built_in_gyroscope.html


Maybe there are more 'physical' methods to capture data from a smartphone? Food For Thought.

Wow, cool stuff, thanks for the share.
71.5% accuracy in 10-key number pad is kind of crap though, and I suspect that if they tested more people the accuracy would decrease, but still that is some amazing research.
I saw something different about the gyro:

https://www.reddit.com/r/netsec/comments/2e3m5c/using_the_gyroscope_to_record_sound_without/

[Syntax990]

Why Cyanogenmod? I know it's great, I used it before, but for a regular phone user stock is sufficient, or is there some hidden thing about it?

Cyanogenmod is just an open source version of Android. It's security tends to be better and it's users get much more power over their device. Cyanogenmod doesn't come with bloatware like Android. It's been tweaked for better performance and in general is just the better one of the two.

I would recommend it to all Android users, even the non-technical ones.

[d4rkcat]

Cyanogenmod is just an open source version of Android. It's security tends to be better and it's users get much more power over their device. Cyanogenmod doesn't come with bloatware like Android. It's been tweaked for better performance and in general is just the better one of the two.

I would recommend it to all Android users, even the non-technical ones.

Cyanogenmod is a nice ROM, personally I prefer:
AOKP - Looks cool and is light, customizable.
SlimROM - Super light and snappy android experience.

[Kulverstukas]

Let's not derail this, kk. Question was about android malware types and defense.

[d4rkcat]

Let's not derail this, kk. Question was about android malware types and defense.

LOL you are the one who asked about cyanogenmod!
Anyway back to malware on Android.
Malwares bad, mkay?

[Syntax990]

Let's not derail this, kk. Question was about android malware types and defense.

I'lll "put us back on track". Cyanogenmod along with the ROM's that D4rkcat said are good alternatives to Android.

This is not just because of the performance and usage benefits but also because certain malware (I'm inclusively referring to malware that targets Android's Kernel) will have little to no effect on it's incompatible code.

[Axon]

Let's not derail this, kk. Question was about android malware types and defense.

I think the main question was about the alternative options your friend might have to avoid being watched according to his claims. Nevertheless, since android is an open source and it allows for third party apps to be downloaded, this makes android valnurable to various types of malware.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/03/24/report-97-of-mobile-malware-is-on-android-this-is-the-easy-way-you-stay-safe/

And how to defend yourself against the growing threats of android malwares It doesn't take a bright mind to figure it out.
1- Always have an AV and anti malware on your mobilephone, I know they aren't effective 100%, but at least they do their job.
2- Never download third party apps. Avoid downloading apps from random websites.
3- Examine the permissions of the apps on your phone, there are some apps for android that require no permissions but allow you to examine the permissions given to all the installed apps, this helps to detect an app with suspicious permissions.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ovmobile.appopslauncher

I think this paper is also informative.
http://www.ijcsit.com/docs/Volume%205/vol5issue02/ijcsit20140502216.pdf

This is what I think are the main steps to defend yourself against android malwares, I claim no experience, I'm just an android user since 2012.

Signed: Axon