What is the (system???) app "main components"?

Oct 1, 2020
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- is it legit
- What does it do

Recieved a suspicious sms that disappeared almost as soon as it came in, then my AV notified me that "main components" was successfully scanned.

Search in settings shows the app under app info but clicking on it does nothing.

Google is not so helpful..

Thanks in advance
 

B. Diddy

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B. Diddy

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Got a PM from the OP, who was having trouble responding in the thread:

"Here is the only image I can get of the suspicious app

https://ibb.co/kSpcPd7

I am on a Samsung a50 with android 10

Using Kaspersky for my AV"

The "main components" designation might be a term specifically used by Kaspersky. Is that the only place you see it mentioned?

I also changed the post owner of the OP in this thread to the actual member's username.
 

B. Diddy

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Ok, go to Settings>Apps, then tap the Menu button (the 3-dot button at the upper right), then Show System. Now look through the App list to see if there's something called Main Components there.

Regarding antivirus, here's my usual spiel:

For the most part, it's still quite difficult to get an actual virus on your phone, because malware requires you to manually accept the installation (which is why they try to fool you into thinking you're installing something legitimate). Use common sense:


1. Avoid shady websites that deal with things like porn, gambling, and "free" (aka pirated) apps/music/movies.


2. Never ever tap on a link that appears in a popup while browsing, especially if they're warning you that your phone is infected -- they're just trying to scare you into installing some bogus "antivirus" app that is probably malicious itself.


3. Only install apps from well-established app sources like Google Play Store or Amazon Appstore. Read a bunch of app reviews before installing an app to look for any complaints about adware or suspected malware.


4. Turn on Google Play Protect features in Settings>Google>Security (or in the Play Store settings). This allows Google to periodically scan your phone's apps to look for malware.


5. Turn off "Unknown Sources" in Settings>Security (or in Special App Access on newer phones). This prevents any app that wasn't obtained from Google Play Store from being installed (which could include malicious apps that are inadvertently downloaded).
 

B. Diddy

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If you were to have malware like that (which would be very unlikely if you're not frequenting shady sites or installing apps from unreliable sources), then the first step would be to use a good security app like Malwarebytes.
 
Oct 1, 2020
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Company implicitly insists on us using whatsapp on our personal phones for intra office and client contact work purposes as well as connecting to our work outlook email on them.

It's been over a year (and 7 phones iOS and droid trying to troubleshoot/shake the issue) but I'm fairly certain it would have been acquired by one of/ both of those points.

On the aforementioned devices they have access to my screen, cameras, gps data, sms, social app activity and communications, whatsapp voice and text.

They have alluded to (in response to having observed my seeking help /investigating solutions on my own) that they do it to protect their leads and client data...

They have not been handling the information gathered discreetly or professionally—sharing either the information gathered or access to the user interface (for lack of a better term) around the office.

I have been advised by sympathetic parties and have been able to reliably test this by exploiting the human element using unique information under controlled conditions.

Once when I even let my guard down I came into the office to be greeted by jokes regarding a unique paaradoy porn that I had watched the night before.

They had also been in contact with my mother whose contact information I made a point of not providing them with.

Do excuse my relative nativity on the subject of mobile security but regarding your Malwarebytes suggestion... Does that not count as one of the antivirus programs that you had earlier suggested that I avoid?
 
Oct 1, 2020
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Do you have anything else for work installed on the phone , since you use it for whatapp calls for work related?

Yes the whatsapp is used for work but I've a second one on another simcard (I've been through 5) that I keep on one of the other 7 phones...

My personal phone that I use for work is also connected to the company email server...

I know that the email server connection has the permission/ability to remotely wipe our phones as it outright said so during the start up process...

However I strongly suspect that whatsapp was the point of ingress as it is plausible that I may have been sent one of those "dubious" links in whatsapp..

Also I have changed mobile phones 7 times factory resetting them each at least twice before finding out that it came back (switching phones so often as I kept reading that factory reset doesn't always get rid of it)

Shame too.... was particularly hopeful on the last one as I used entirely new accounts, a new OS, no google backup... Manually switching over all of my 2FAs
 

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