Possible Virus - Play Store opens randomly to specific games/apps

[valgrom]

The first time it happened I attributed it to a random android-brain-fart. I was on the android browser reading news online when all of a sudden the play store opened up directly to an app page for a poker game of some sort. Since then though it has happened at least 7 or 8 times at random. I don't really touch anything yet the app-store opens up to an app page and it's usually a game. I haven't seen the same game twice yet.

I have "Lookout" security installed which found nothing unusual. AVG Free found threats in the form of "the phone is rooted" and "USB Debugging is enabled", but no specific app.

The one thing that comes to mind where I might have given entry to a virus was an email from LinkedIn saying that some guy had invited me to connect with him. I didn't recognize the name (and had seen this email come in a couple of times already) so I decided to unsubscribe from the linkedin emails so I wouldn't get it again. Well as soon as I clicked "Unsubscribe" at the bottom, the browser started to open up and went to a ".ru" domain at which point I immediately backed out of it and ran a Lookout scan. Not finding anything I figured maybe I was being paranoid, but now I'm wondering if I'm infected.

In case it's pertinent here are the device details:

LG Optimus G Pro
JB 4.1.2
Rooted
Kernel 3.4.0
Build # JZO54K

Any help would be appreciated as this is not only annoying, but if there is malware there who knows what else it's capable of doing (or already doing).

Thanks,
Mike

 

[srkmagnus]

Does the play store only open on its own when you have the browser open? It almost sounds like you clicked on ad by accident. To be safe, you should factory reset to clear whatever may be causing the problem off the device. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Distant Deviant]

Clear your caches might help u should be fine lookout is pretty good at threat protection i wouldn't worry too much


Try uninstalling updates reinstalling them, force stop it and see if it still happens


Check developer options and make sure you dont have any root software thats experimental on in any app settings which could make ur phone wacky


Some modules have experimental settings clean master app is really awesome to clean your phone up btw

Our business is life itself.

 

[valgrom]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I did try a couple of the recommended clean-up apps, but it continued to occur. I didn't do a master reset yet because, frankly I didn't want to have to enter all my details again. Since it was happening only when I was reading a webpage on the Android browser I started using Chrome for browsing and it has not happened again. I'm going to try to use the stock browser again and see if it returns. If so, then that may be the source of the issue, although I don't know exactly what the problem would be.

Thanks,

 

[Adamsberg]

That Play Store pop up might caused by an app on your phone, recently installed or updated.
For to find that app you might install and run Ad Network Detector by Lookout.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Another option is to download Airush Opt Out from Play. Install, open select do not want ads, and keep it on your phone.

From a Sprint Moto X using AC forums app

 

[Todd Vernon]

I've got the same issue. Tried the ad scanner from Lookout and AirBrush. Neither found anything.

Play Store opens at random intervals to Monopoly or some dragon game. Started after my six year old had the tablet for the afternoon. Really annoying because I use the tablet as my bedside alarm clock. When the play store opens, it hides the clock display and then the tablet will go to sleep.

 

[Adamsberg]

These annoying pop up ads seems to fool the actual detectors for aggressive ad networks.

So this new kind of trash might need a new approach for catching the app that caused it.
Using its need for data for to build this ad for the pop up.

I take it that this culprit app needs data for its pop up. You could proof this when there wouldn't pop ups while you switch off mobile data and WiFi.

I use an app which logs the background data of apps, 'Network Connections' from Play Store.
Install and run the app (start Live Capture) ... and after the ad pops up you might see an active app that should not sending/receiving data.
Note: ... and you might wonder that there are so many of your apps that cause background data traffic

 

[Todd Vernon]

Thanks Adamsberg,

I'll try that next time my six year old recreates the problem. He seems to have solved the dilemma this time by accidentally doing a reset on the tablet.

 

[BrainAdventure]

It is not necessarily a virus. it might be a recent app you downloaded is opening those pages. If you know a recent app you installed, uninstall it and see if it occurs again.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Thanks Adamsberg,

I'll try that next time my six year old recreates the problem. He seems to have solved the dilemma this time by accidentally doing a reset on the tablet.

It is not necessarily a virus. it might be a recent app you downloaded is opening those pages. If you know a recent app you installed, uninstall it and see if it occurs again.

Welcome to the forums.

 

[Zubair Wathra]

Have you had any luck fixing this? I have the same problem on Galaxy S3

 

[Cindy Kepler]

I downloaded some castle game, deleted it and now at random intervals when I text, read an email, literally anything the play store pops up with a different game or adblocker, it is driving me crazy and I seriously do not want to do a reset. Any thoughts, I tried all of the above to no avail

 

[mrsmumbles]

I downloaded some castle game, deleted it and now at random intervals when I text, read an email, literally anything the play store pops up with a different game or adblocker, it is driving me crazy and I seriously do not want to do a reset. Any thoughts, I tried all of the above to no avail

That happened on my Hydro with Ice Cream Sandwich. After I uninstalled a few free games it stopped.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

 

[knockoutdoc]

I posted this elsewhere but thought i would post it here too.

I too have had the same problem the last few weeks with these exact same pop ups. The only unusual thing I recall doing recently is downloading some playstore apps from TapJoy to get jewels in the game castle clash. I figured the playstore apps were safe. But in retrospect, tapjoy seems to have a lot of suspect clients.

If you download the apps from playstore you still my not get your jewels as promised by Tapjoy - it varies. Complaining to Tapjoy does absolutely nothing. After having this happen a few times, I realized that Tapjoy has a lot of slimy clients and Tapjoy doesn't care. This led to me to believe that I got this malware from one of tapjoy's client's apps but I have removed all of these apps and the problem persists.

Anyway, one of the weblinks that pops up in my chrome browser is Android Clean Master

By the way, I input the hyperlink above as a long weblink "http://android-support.us/2010/11/index.php?c=66&l=389&subid=2117273431" and this site turned it into a hyperlink called "android clean master" when I posted it.

This link will take you to on the pop up you will be taken to http://2solution.net/trc/go.php?c=66...bid=2117273431 Then you will be immediately redirected to the playstore.

The playstore app, some junk called DU speed booster, which i never downloaded, has more positive reviews than any app you have ever seen. It's BS tho. But when I try to write a negative review, it always says an error has occurred.

I am even more surprise that over the last few weeks, no solutions have emerged when repeatedly scouring the net for answers. It is scary because after 3 years on android this is the first problem of this type I have encountered but none of the playstore anti-virus anti malware stuff has been able to even identify a problem.

 

[madman0908]

I had the same problem on my HTC One - but I noticed it started the same day as AVG detected a suspicious app called "Preferences". I left it alone as I thought it must be a system app... Turns out it wasnt, you can actually uninstall it and that seems to fix the problem!

 

[SKElam]

Bought my mom a Nextbook tablet for her birthday. She's been using it for 2 weeks with no issues. Haven't added any new games since giving to her. Today, the tablet started popping up the Play Store right in the middle of her Sudoku game. Has done it 10-20 times. I cleared the cache on her Play Store settings; refused to okay updates; refused to agree to their terms. Not sure what else to do. Any suggestions? My next step is to do a hard reset on her tablet. She really likes the free Sudoku game I downloaded for her so would hate to have to delete that but Oh Well! :'(

 

[Paddy Ryan]

I had the same issue on HTC one ad I think it was my twitter app called Plume, have since uninstalled and haven't had the issue since.

 

[windlion]

Same popup nags have hit me after visiting two reputable websites. This needs to go away, Google ... I have AVG Cleaner loaded, AFAIK have no need to add more vampireware to my tablet.

 

[danaiai]

same thing happened to me but it goes to my private stuff so i shut it down and come back on now i reset my tablet and download this virus checker that i trustworthy with

warning: dont download any andriod version gmod it causes for it to open random stuff