Battery Upgrade/Battery Doctor scareware attacks Android users
If you get a warning notifying that ‘your battery is running out of juice’ and offering to download a patch that will help you to save it, make sure you ignore such alert because new scareware acting exactly like that has been found. Created for the smartphones running Google’s Android, ‘Battery Upgrade’ or ‘Battery Doctor’ scam is not what it appears to be – next to the setting that allows to turn off the phone’s wi-fi radio and other power-consuming components, it unnoticeably provides information about victim’s phone and activity for scammers.
This fake Battery Upgrade/Battery Doctor variant is designed to look like operating system patch or update which is actively offered by triggering a download button. After this clear social engineering scheme used for installation, on the first execution victim receives some information about the battery and running apps. However, program also unnoticeably connects to its ad server which is named lp.mobsqueeze.com. In addition, ‘Battery Doctor’ loads NotifAdSDK service helping to check in and send user’s profile information every four hours.
Though this app is not malicious one, it has undesirable elements that may additionally be connected to malware. Android users have already been notified about Battery Saver (GGTracker) ads that lead to the Android Trojan horse infection. So, to avoid being infected, pay attention to various pop up adds that appear on your smartphone and claim you need to update software and read app reviews carefully. In addition, download reputable mobile security protection software.
Source: blogs.quickheal.com
Hi,
I’ve been getting these “battery upgrade” notifications on my Samsung Galaxy S2 for a couple days now. A star icon appears up in the notification bar once or twice a day. Any idea how to stop these notifications or find out which app is causing it? I’ve got AVG on my phone so hopefully it’s still safe.
Thanks.
It’s a “service” from airpush.com
http://www.airpush.com/advertisers
It’s probably usefull to run the following app, to check, which currently installed app is using this service…
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.brosmike.airpushdetector
Thanks. I’ll give it a go.
This showed up on my phone yesterday and I clicked download. Then it asked me to install it but I didn’t when I noticed all the things it was going to have access to. Am I safe? And is it possible to delete it?
Hi from France !
XDA published a good solution here : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21018164&postcount=17.
Download Addons Detector (ytrusted) and use it to detect wich app is placing this sys-add. Uninstall this app, and voilà !
AitPushDetector is also a good app to detect it.
After that, install something like LookOut…
Enjoy !
Have the same problem here Galaxy SII, BUT: my battery was really showing problems since 3 days our so.
Even in standby loosing all power within 6 hours. Without doing anything! So here popped up the solution, an app saying’your battery it’s losing power way to quick, you need to instal this.And I almost did, didn’t seem like s coincident! But then I wondered how strange it was that an outside app could notice how quickly my battery was losing power.
So I stopped and removed everything.
Just one thing still bothers me: my Galaxy is like new, the battery was working fine unroll 3 days ago, then occurred a remarkable difference in losing power and 2 days later this trojan appeared.
Could that really be a coincidence???
And sorry for the mixed words fire to swyping…
I think i downloaded “upgrade your Battery” by accident – how do i remove it? I cannot find the file name under manage applications
Just had my phone and something happened too so I think I downloaded this “upgrade” by accident too. Installed Lookout and Addons Detector but do not see what I can do to stop these messages. Please help…
help please!
I’m infected too, but I don’t know what I have to do, to find and delete the bastard by using “Addons Detector”.
Could anybody help me?
With best regards from Germany
Charly2012
@herman
Hi, I’m one of the developers of AddonsDetector. If AD doesn’t discover the culprit, try to activate the Notification Monitor feature. This functionality records all notifications of third-part apps, so you can identify the intrusive app.
Regards.
denper.
Hi,
you must launch AddonsDetector, press the Scan button, go to Adddons (green button), select ‘Push Notifications’ from filter and you can check the potential culprits. If AD doesn’t discover any apps and the notifications persist, try to use the Notification Monitor feature.
Regars.
denper
I was having the same problem, I used Addons Detector, and through the notification monitor. I found it was an application I installed called “Speed Booster”.
Once uninstalled the notifications was gone.
Just thought I’d spread the word.
just downloaded AirPush Detector from the Play Store and it told me instantly which app was sending those stupid notifications. I recommend.
In my case was some mp3 downloader trying to force me to save battery… thanks denper!!
I installed both AirPush detector and Addons detector, ran both scans. It was the Addons detector which solved the problem by monitoring the notifications.“Speed Booster” was the culprit here.
Just FYI guys, I had the same thing, it turned out to be some stupid mosquito repellant that I got to mess about with. Thanks to that airpush detector it’s now gone! Thanks for the indirect help!
Thanks for the info here. Since having my new S2 I kept getting a Battery advert daily, then it slowly increased to more adverts.
Sadly it turns out a premium live wallpaper I purchased was pushing the ads. Still, only 99p, and now gone. Live Wallpaper in question was ‘Rainy Night”.
I found it was Bloatfreeze free that was pushing the notification ads.
so i downloaded the batter app thing by mistake nd now my phone wont go past the roger screen any1 wanna help me out in tryen to find a way to get it off my phone i got a lg 3d phone
I used AddonsDetector, my problem app was “BeNaughty”
@Cona
I forgot to add to my comment, thank you to all the comments above that help me to locate mine
hiya all,I kept getting a battery upgrade warning,2-3 per day.used addons detector,turned out to be bubbleshoot game i downloaded.now its gone so have the battery warnings…..thanks to all for your comments.
hiya all reading through all these posts i had same promblem kept gettin batterey upgrade warnings. so advice from depner i installed addons detector and followed ur instructions and it found it was a game called feed ur dino it is noe deleted so il c what happens