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Consumer Products => Avast Mobile Security => Avast Mobile Security for Android => Topic started by: Nickperson on January 05, 2023, 08:07:26 PM

Title: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: Nickperson on January 05, 2023, 08:07:26 PM: On my Samsung I got the following message:

"Malware Detected
Android System Contains Malware that could harm your device. Itbis installed in the system partition and cannot be uninstalled. Instead, you must deactivate the app from system settings.

Detection ID: ef92f04bede1"

Since I cant deactivate the Android System, what should I do? Is this a false positive?
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: fullintent74 on January 05, 2023, 08:39:51 PM: I've received the same notification this evening. My Samsung software was updated shortly after, and after rescanning, I got the same notification from Avast.

I have no idea if this is a false positive, and I can't 'disable' Android as directed by the Avast app.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: GiantPumpkin84 on January 05, 2023, 08:51:28 PM: I'm having this exact same problem on my Google Pixel 4a. Avast updated its virus definitions today and it started detecting "Android system" as potential malware
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: fullintent74 on January 05, 2023, 09:29:01 PM: Update: I reported my issue via the app, and got an email assuring me that it's a false positive and Avast are looking into it now.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: mitzysjunk on January 06, 2023, 01:08:10 AM: I got the same notification. I've reported it as a false positive. Let Avast tell me it's not.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: jcanch on January 06, 2023, 01:11:37 AM: I also received the same message on my Google Pixel 7 Pro (Android version: 13 with security update on 05-Dec-2022).
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: coudo739 on January 06, 2023, 05:47:09 AM: I too have received this, on two devices
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: JojoB on January 06, 2023, 08:02:15 AM: I got the same thing too about an hour ago. I messaged them through the app as well. I just saw someone say they messaged through the app too and that Avast said it was a false positive. I'll wait until avast replies back before I report it as such.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: Chris_87 on January 06, 2023, 11:25:07 AM: I received the same warning on my pixel 6a. The detection id is different though c213921dc8f5.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: jwgroovin on January 06, 2023, 11:36:07 AM: I received this too on a Pixel 6. Malwarebytes and Bitdefender do not see this.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: A27 on January 06, 2023, 12:42:20 PM: I received the same alert on a galaxy fold 4. Waiting on a response from avast.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: Person1-2-3 on January 06, 2023, 02:27:19 PM: I received the same alert on my samsung galaxy a 53, i reported it over the in app report thing, but havent gotten any feedback from avast yet. I hope its a false positive
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: bob3160 on January 06, 2023, 02:34:09 PM: False positive
Here's what I've heard back from Avast:
"The fix was released this morning. There are still some delayed reports coming through,
but no new alerts should be triggered."
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: jwgroovin on January 06, 2023, 02:37:36 PM: Quote from: bob3160 on January 06, 2023, 02:34:09 PM
False positive
Here's what I've heard back from Avast:
"The fix was released this morning. There are still some delayed reports coming through,
but no new alerts should be triggered."

I'm not seeing an update available but perhaps it's just a virus definition. Thanks.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: bob3160 on January 06, 2023, 02:40:41 PM: Quote from: jwgroovin on January 06, 2023, 02:37:36 PM
Quote from: bob3160 on January 06, 2023, 02:34:09 PM
False positive
Here's what I've heard back from Avast:
"The fix was released this morning. There are still some delayed reports coming through,
but no new alerts should be triggered."

I'm not seeing an update available but perhaps it's just a virus definition. Thanks.
It would be a virus definition since this was a false detection.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: Nickperson on January 06, 2023, 02:48:51 PM: Im still getting the resolve issue button, will this update itself?
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: bob3160 on January 06, 2023, 03:05:23 PM: Quote from: Nickperson on January 06, 2023, 02:48:51 PM
Im still getting the resolve issue button, will this update itself?
Yes, see if there is an Engine and virus definition update available.
(https://d1ka0itfguscri.cloudfront.net/Lh/2023/01/06/14/04/c0V12fVwoK5/preview.jpg)
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: Chris_87 on January 06, 2023, 03:27:20 PM: Hello everyone, I received an update from Support team. i tried the steps and manually scanned again and the threat is gone.

Hello Chris,

Hope you’re doing well.

My name is Arthur, and I’m on the Avast Customer Care Team. I’m here to help on your case.

First of all, thank you for reporting this to us.

I'd like to inform that our team already looked into that and this problem is fixed.

On your side, I'll ask you to just update the app, following this path:

Menu (top-left corner)
Settings > Updates > Check for updates.

Also, I recommend you make a new scan, to confirm that the detection is no longer showing. You can always ignore this detection, since it was a mistake from our side.

Let me know if this helped!

If you have any more questions, feel free to message me at any time. I’d be happy to help.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

Arthur
Avast Customer Care Team
User-added image
Avast Support Center
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: sonnik on January 06, 2023, 03:47:19 PM: I updated definitions, and tried to do a full file scan. The warning is still there. Any way to easily reset the scan, if Avast is saying this is resolved?

The problem with "false positive" noise is that they may cause me to ignore a real issue.

EDIT: I don't know how to kick off the normal scan (can only do a full file scan manually). So, I just set the "Automatic Scan to a time" 10 minutes from now to see if that does the trick.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: sonnik on January 06, 2023, 04:01:07 PM: The problem is the typical "scan now" button is replaced with the "resolve issue" from the previous false positive. Ignoring isn't the right option.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: sonnik on January 06, 2023, 04:04:57 PM: Update: If you want to clear, after performing the update action above, scheduling your automatic scan for a few minutes in the future seems to be the only way to properly clear the false positive.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: rcicotte on January 06, 2023, 08:08:26 PM: I received the same warning today. After reading all of the messages I uninstalled and reinstalled the Avast Security Ultimate app, restarted my phone and setup the security app and rescanned successfully with no reported errors. My only issue now is that it seems the checkspeed is indicating that my network downoload speed is very slow @ 0.2Mbps. but going to familiar sites I am not experiencing andy great degredation in speed.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: Fleur Dodd on January 06, 2023, 08:25:11 PM: I have the same message, all things updated, turned phone in and off, still seeing the avastessage " malware detected in android system, it to s installed in the partition so cannot be uninstalled....setting to deactivate this app".
Well, I am not at all tekky, so spent an hour searching for this app, then searching for how to disable it, then googling how to disable it, then, I made the mistake of calling Google Support.....
Oh what a mistake, I spent over 2 hours, spike to 6 different people, including the manager of the support team responsible for my phone, and do you know what the result was....had I been able to uninstall it, I would have had a broken phone , because that is what they said to do, with the android system app.
I made it clear what it was, that it was a system file, sent them screenshots of the avast message, of tye app, of tye options available as they didn't know at all, and two told me to uninstall it and restart my phone, and 3 told me to disable or force stop.
I quickly realised they knew nothing, and turns out worse the advice given, if it had been possible to do so, would have made my phone unusable.
I then called my son who quickly said " don't touch it, leave it be, must be an error with avast, something in the latest Google update has something that avast is reading as a threat, even if it is a threat, don't touch the system files!"
Then I Google the error message from avast +mistake and found this.
So no, avast customer services, this issue is not resolved, all my definitions say up to date, all aps and is are up to date, yet avast is still telling me there is malware in the android system app and that I should disable it.
Luckily it doesn't tell you how to.
I am in the UK, to f that helps you get the definitions pushed out properly or whatever it is you do.
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: bob3160 on January 08, 2023, 09:50:37 AM: Here is the latest word I've received from Avast:
"Hi Norbert. This was indeed a false positive that happened on Android 13 devices
that have our anti-virus. The issue is fixed now and rescan will remove it from the detections."
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: hannon31 on May 06, 2023, 06:21:47 AM: I just got this message today after updating my Avast mobile :

Malware Detected
Media Storage contains Malware that could harm your device. It is installed in the system partition and cannot be uninstalled. Instead, you must deactivate the app from system settings. Detection ID: 069d6c2ac8d6

Has this been confirmed to be a false positive, as others have mentioned ? Has this ever been resolved ?

I'm using Moto G Play Android version 10 Mobile Phone.

Thanks !
Title: Re: Recieved Malware warning, unsure if false positive
Post by: Max Bendecido on May 12, 2023, 05:04:46 PM: I received a very similar message today on my Galaxy S10 - it says "Shell contains malware" the rest of the message is the same. Also at the end Dectection ID: 2599e72de5e3. Is this another false positive? Samsung says Android is up to date G973USQS8IWC1 April 25,2023. Avast says it updated today, then I got this warning.
I tried manual scan with same error showing, so I tried to schedule an auto scan for 5 minutes past current time and after the autoscan ran, this message no longer appeared. So I'm inclined to think it was just a fasle positive which Avast cleared. I noticed from the activity log that my a virus update ran yesterday at 12:25 PM, an auto scan ran later at 11:10 which showed the malware error, then another virus update ran at 4:56 AM this morning and a storage scan ran at 10:31 which showed the error. Manual scan showed it but after teh auto scan it doesn't show up anymore.