Help! My Tablet is acting weird! How do I know if my Tablet was compromised?

[Madeline Gab]

Help! My Tablet is acting weird!

I own a Galaxy Tab 4 10.1

Today as I was reading an article online, I notice that my Photo Album App opened up and as I'm starring at the screen in disbelief. The photos started sliding through one by one! I then panic and immediately turned my tablet off. I waited a few minutes. turned it back on and quickly did a factory reset. My question is, was my device compromised? also, what can I do to prevent this from happening again? is there any good App I can use? I have it just sitting here as I am afraid to enter all my information again lol :-/

Thanks in advance for any help given!

 

[nahoku]

Re: Help! My Tablet is acting weird!

That's interesting. I actually have no direct answer for you as I've never experienced this personally. It does sound like someone was browsing your photos... like some kind of "remote access". Scary!
Were you browsing the net using Wifi? At home on a secured router, or out somewhere on an open connection? Were you on 4G?

While it may or may not be a virus/malware, I would still scan your tablet. While some people don't believe that anti-virus/malware apps help, I would install Malwarebytes and have it do a full scan. The scan will take some time, so be prepared.

Other than that, have you installed any "questionable" apps recently? Are you running Airdroid, or any kind of mirroring app?

 

[Madeline Gab]

Re: Help! My Tablet is acting weird!

Hi, and thank you for taking the time to reply.
Yes, I was at home "safe browsing" reading and article that I had save to read later. as I was reading, I heard a sound coming from the tablet and when I looked, I notice that the "photo album" opened and right before my eyes it seemed as if someone was browsing through my photos.
Indeed! Very scary, If I say so myself! I freaked out :-/
I currently have "Lookout" installed on my cell and Tablet devices and has always worked like a charm. No, I have not installed any new Apps and I am running Android. I am so confused

 

[nahoku]

Re: Help! My Tablet is acting weird!

and I am running Android

Not Android... Airdroid. It's an app that can be used to control your tablet or phone via wireless from a PC. Is the app installed on your tablet? Do you have any app that can control your tablet from a PC or Mac?

If you haven't scanned your tablet, you might want to do that with Lookout if it has that capability. Also, I linked Malwarebytes in my post above. You should download and scan with that also.

Also, check your Security settings to see if any app has installed itself as a Phone Administrator. I imagine that Lookout, and Google Device Manager would be in the list, but see if there's an app that you don't recognize in there.

I don't really know what's going on with your tablet and I don't want you to think I do. Basically, I really don't know if I can help you solve this. I've not seen this with Android although I have on PCs. Normally, before anyone can gain access to your PC and gain control through "Remote Access"... 1) Remote Access needs to be enabled, and 2) you have to give consent. The consent is normally in the form of a pop-up window that you actually have to acknowledge and accept. On Android since you allow "permissions" when you install an app, the app doesn't need you to consent later on to do what you already signed up for when you installed it. If there's a malicious app present on your tablet, installed whether by you or by itself, it can do whatever it wants without your consent.

Anyways, scan your tablet and I'll try to do more research. It may come down to eventually doing a back up of data and a full factory reset on your tablet... if not for any reason other than so you know it's clean from whatever might be on it now.