Battery Upgrade/Battery Doctor scareware attacks Android users

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

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36 responses to “Battery Upgrade/Battery Doctor scareware attacks Android users

  1. 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.

  2. 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?

  3. 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???

  4. I think i downloaded “upgrade your Battery” by accident – how do i remove it? I cannot find the file name under manage applications

  5. 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…

  6. 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

  7. @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.

  8. Charly2012 :
    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

    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

  9. 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.

  10. just downloaded AirPush Detector from the Play Store and it told me instantly which app was sending those stupid notifications. I recommend.

  11. In my case was some mp3 downloader trying to force me to save battery… thanks denper!!

  12. 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.

  13. 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!

  14. 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”.

  15. 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

  16. @Cona
    I forgot to add to my comment, thank you to all the comments above that help me to locate mine 😀

  17. 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.

  18. 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

  19. Thanks all. Addons Detector told me Facebook Camera !?! was pushing the battery upgrade. Cleared up in a jiffy.

  20. Thanks all, thank you denper! I used Addons Detector, my problem app was “Imperio” (RDP). What a pitty, otherwise it was such a nice app.

  21. Thanks to all. Was receiving these messages 2-3 times a day on my Galaxy S2, very annoying. Knew it was a scam, but couldn’t work out how to get rid. Installed Addons Detector and it found the culprit straight away – GPS Fix was the problem. Uninstalled this, and now the messages have gone.

  22. How can i uninstall “juice boost” from my samsung galaxy s2.. It doesnt show up in my apps so i cant uninstall but its on my menu screen. PLease help!!!!

  23. So i was keep getting a little star icon at the task bar blagging on about extending and upgrading my battery life. Didnt think it was right so thanks to you guys and for both of the apps, ive downloaded addonndetector which popped up with a fun app ‘mod face’ and after deleting it together with live mod wallpaper airpush confirmed that ghere is nothing else. (: since most of these adds happen to appear at night ill just wait and hope it wont happen again. Thanks guys (:

  24. omg i need help! i downloaded the app battery super charger app a few days ago, i dont know if the problem is with that or because i dropd my phone yest. but last night i cannot literally do anything with my phone! i keep getting pop ups on the main screen saying ‘SORRY! the application IM (process come.sec.android.app has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again’ then it says force close at the bottom.
    its also saying it for these apps too …
    calender storage
    tw.launcher
    whats app
    clock
    logs provider
    email
    social hub
    my phone is now turning off by itself and i cannot access anything on the home screen as as soon as i press ‘force close’ another one pops up straight away. what can i do??

  25. hi, i need help!!!
    i just accidentally downloaded and installed “battery super booster app upgrade for android” and it says that this apps is going to charge me $15 for every two days. how can i to stop it TT

  26. hi,
    I am having problem with my MOTO E device.A popup comes while browsing websites from DU BATTERY SAVER DETECTED UR BATTERY IS DAMAGED(MOPSMOPS.COM)….Install du battery saver to correct it…I tried airpush and addons detector,Nothing was found.I even tried to re-installing chrome still problem exists….its really irritating,every 10 secs popup comes….can anybody help..? Same problem is coming in other moto-e device which is on same Wi-Fi connection my brother has.Recently updated my internet modem security to WPA-PSK from WEP security type,is this problem have smething to do with it…..?

  27. Guys i see you had the notifications in the notification bar (when you pull the window down). Thus you were able to detect it. But when I open a website, I then receive a message at the center of the screen which says something like “Your battery is damaged, You must install the DU Battery Saver”, then I have to click OK, and it redirects me to cpamobland.net. That message doesnt leave a trace in the android notifications bar, so I can’t solve it through Airpush or Addons Detector.

    Does anyone know what to do?

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