Android application AllTracker Family as false positive

[RUSSCITY]

Hello everybody,

I am a developer and owner of AllTracker Family Android application. 

Sadly Malwarebytes on Android detects my application as malware. 

This is not true, because:
- the application is designed to share the information with the family by mutual agreement
- this application cannot be hidden and does nothing in background without notifying device owner
- every request of any data via the application shows a notification on the device 
- the access to the device can be configured and restricted at any time

Device owner has to provide a consent and agree our terms before the app can be used. Our terms and privacy policies can be found here: https://alltracker.org/terms and https://alltracker.org/privacy.

My app was widely checked by Google Play Protect and is available on Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=city.russ.alltrackerfamily

Checking on virustotal showing as well that the file is OK by Malwarebytes, but anyway when I do run test on Android it shows that the app is Malware. 

Can you help me to fix it somehow, so that users who download it from Play Store are not scared by this message.

I very appreciate your time! 

Best regards,

Ruslan Ragimov

[mbam_mtbr]

Hi @RUSSCITY,

Malwarebytes for Android is taking a more aggressive stance against stalkerware.

Therefore, apps that used to be clean may now be detected as Monitor.  Monitor is a subset of Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs), thus it’s NOT considered malware.

The main purpose of detecting these Monitor apps is to make unsuspecting users aware of their presence.  Especially in cases of domestic abuse where abusers have physical access to victims mobile devices.

We apologize for inconvenience, but due to the extreme outcomes of not letting unsuspecting victims aware of these apps, we will continue to take a hard stance on Monitor apps.

Thank you for understanding,

Nathan

[RUSSCITY]

Hi Nathan,

thank you for your explanation. I am totally understand your point of view. The monitoring software you describe can also not coming into Play Store.

We wanted to provide a solution which is on basis of mutual trust. This is why we have had to contact Google Play Developer Support and clarified how the app have to be designed. One of the points was that the software should not provide any data without notifying the device owner that the certain data was requested, like "Papa have just checked your location". Many of our customers are couples who share their data with each other, just saying they have nothing to hide. 

Of course one can put the app in white list on the phone if he/she trust it, but there are some inconveniences: 

• the scan shows that there is a "Malware found". This is what customers don't understand, when they install the app for the first time. They are thinking we want to stole their data. See screenshot: 
• 
• even when putting it into white list, you see this message: "You have added Malware with known dangerous behavior to the whitelist". The first thing our customers thinking is: "this app is a virus" and these are the messages we getting in our support channel every day, and have to explain: "no this is not a virus, you can use it on the purpose to share your information with your partner". See screenshot:
•  
• Moreover, our app is used by businesses in some countries to monitor company devices. The fact that the app is detected as Malware ruins our reputation and, accordingly, our business.

Is there a way we can additionally change something in our app to not to be detected as Malware by Malwarebytes?

Best regards,

Ruslan

[mbam_mtbr]

Hi @RUSSCITY,

I understand your concern.  We will look further into changing the messaging for Monitor category apps.  In the meantime, I have changed the detection to Android/PUP.Monitor.AllTracker.a.  Thus, it will display as Potentially Unwanted Program instead.  This will take effect in future database versions.

Nathan

 

[RUSSCITY]

Hi @mbam_mtbr,

thank you for this and for your understanding.

Best regards,

Ruslan

[Max_from_RUSSCITY]

Hello, @mbam_mtbr,

here is Max from the RUSSCITY team who developed the AllTracker Family app.

Unfortunately, our app is still being detected as dangerous malware by Malwarebytes (see attached pictures), even though AllTracker Family is not as such, which RUSSCITY has explained earlier in this forum. You confirmed this and said that it will be changed. Please give us your feedback on this case.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,

Max

[mbam_mtbr]

Hi @Max_from_RUSSCITY,

Detection updated to Android/PUP.Monitor.AllTracker.ACT.

Nathan

[Max_from_RUSSCITY]

Hi, @mbam_mtbr,

thank you!

Best regards,

Max