List of 21 Android Smartphones in India that have Pre-Installed Malware

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We all know how Android devices are susceptible to malware and spyware. We have already reported a ton of cases previously like this and have also explained how to get rid of them. However, according to the new reports which we have, it looks like Android smartphones are now preinstalled with malware. Yes, this is quite shocking, right? Check Point Software Technologies has released a report in which they have stated that about 36 Android smartphones come pre-installed with malware.

According to the source, these smartphone already had the malware inside them when the users received the devices. It has been reported that these malicious apps were not a part of the official ROM which is supplied by the company but was installed somewhere along the supply chain of the product. Hence we can’t directly blame the manufacturer here since it has nothing to do with them. The malware is added to the devices’ ROM using system privileges, and one cannot remove them without having to re-flash the ROM.

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The worst part is that since the malware is in the backend, the users who are using the smartphone won’t even know about it. Most of the malware are found to be info-stealers meaning that they can steal the valuable information from users. Few of them are also ad networks that will keep popping up ads frequently. However, a few ransomware were also found. Ransomware usually encrypts all your info, etc. and then demands ransom in exchange for the decryption code. In this case, users have no option but to pay the ransom or flash a new ROM and loose the data.

Loki malware was also found in these devices which are malware that displays ads for revenue. They steal data about the device so that it can install itself into the system, allowing it to take full control of the device. So now after all this, if you are wondering if your device is affected, then we suggest you to take a look at the list of affected devices given below to know more on that. If your device is on the list, then we suggest you read further to know how to get rid of them.

List of Affected smartphones

• Galaxy Note 2
• Samsung Galaxy Note 3
• Samsung Galaxy Note 4
• Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• Samsung Galaxy S7
• Samsung Galaxy S4
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0
• Samsung Galaxy A5
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 2
• Xiaomi Mi 4i
• Xiaomi Redmi
• ZTE x500
• Oppo N3
• Oppo R7 plus
• Vivo X6 plus
• Asus Zenfone 2
• Lenovo S90
• Lenovo A850
• LG G4

• Do make a note that the above listed are affected, and there are chances that more than one infected app may be present inside them. Well now that you have the list of devices, it is now time to know how to fix it if your device is on the list. Follow the procedure given below to know how to get rid of them.

  How to Fix it

  As mentioned above, if your device has either of the malware listed above, then your only option is to reflash the ROM, and there is no other way around this. You can do this manually if you know what you are doing or else if you don’t know exactly how flashing works, then we suggest you take the device to the nearest service center of the brand, and they should help you by flashing a new version of Android.

  Yes, it is really disappointing to see these incidents happening where users are facing such of kind of issues even before getting the device in hand. This is definitely something that the company should look after and make sure that the devices are secure. Be sure to share this everyone you know and let them know about this issue. Also, be sure to stay tuned to PhoneRadar for more info on this.

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