Hastopic virus

[_W_]

15 hours ago, Yie said:

what about not using chrome altogether? from everything i keep reading all i see is that it seems to be a chrome issue, what about firefox, or other browsers?

I suppose you could always install another browser.  But...  Android 9 is very tied together with web components that are a part of Chrome.  It's nearly impossible to avoid it completely.  I prefer not to discuss details of things I am exploring.  This is public forum and the the people wrote those malware are likely monitoring this and adapting their strategies.

[Brickstin]

I have both U683CL and U693CL. Both of them.. Factory installed malware and adware. 

 

Runs payload at every boot to insure malware stays active and functional, certain apps get installed with superuser/administrative access, and root privileges. 

I have been having issues with assurance wireless for over a year now, Assurance used to be good, I was there when they was just getting big, and I had great services since 2014, but it went to the toilet when when UMX came into existence, Assurance has turned over a bad leaf.. .

I have been gathering evidence for the longest time now, reaching out to technicians of Malwarebytes and working with some, even have been in talks with other legal advisors and quite frankly, I think we should do a class action lawsuit guys, I'm sorry but I couldn't get medical help because of Assurance and UMX and a lot of other people have suffered to, there was one time that I had to call 911 for a domestic disturbance crime on going and I couldn't reach out to them because of the ads blocking everything I do I hope to God no one has a heart attack and cant get passed their Ad popups and crap to call 911 for help. 


I to have TopicNew/Topic It is a system app that MCM Client and it's none removable.

I was in a very bad mental state that could have costed me my life and Assurancewireless and UMX made it extremely difficult to get any medical help. 

 

Also btw, now my Google account keeps getting hacked and it started happening when I got the U693CL.

I had to change the password and no matter how many times I changed it on my UMX I was getting access code requests over and over via text and Google Notifications would pop up, I decided to format the phone and it still does not fix the issue, the malware gets re-installed again. 

I've contacted the FCC in regard to these issues:

 

I also found this Published article in regard to UMX, Assurancewireless and other issues:
https://securityboulevard.com/2020/01/fcc-subsidized-sprint-phones-have-malware-preinstalled/

Here is my post for my old UMX phone:

 

[Brickstin]

After Some Work I have been doing I have been using an app to Inspect APPS including System apps behind the user interface to pull all the APKs that come pre-installed from UMX Phones given out by Assurancewireless, I have been actually using ADB to remove all the bad APKs from the user profile, I don't think this will permanently remove the pre-installed malware entirely; certain apps pre-installed run payload to download it's functionary package groups to infect the phone after factory reset but the apps still need internet to run their payload, I am going to uninstall all related apps that I have access to including the System Build Apps so the payload can't be executed all the time - 'IF' I can manage to figure out exactly which apps does this, which I have a pretty good idea considering all the sprint indicators and other apps that I know of already.

 

Well I just Pulled Carrier Device Manager which is com.sprint.ms.cdm-1.7.6-1706.apk into the download directory and MALWAREBYTES DETECTED IT AS RANSOMWARE LMAO!! :

I'm going to keep pulling packages and extract them to unpack them all and screw around with them in Android Studio so I can try and learn something from them in detail.

SPRINT... ASSURANCE, UMX.. I swear they can't fool me anymore, we already have a De-bloated Custom ROM Floating around now to stop this BS permanently, NO MORE Adware/Malware, no more China BS, no more data being stolen and accounts being hacked into.

Right now I am testing these removals to see how they work, if I reboot it may come back (we'll see).

Trying this on original ROM firmware from UMX/Assurancewireless. I figured to screw around with this phone anyhow - not like I have anything important on it nor do I really use it other then for internet.. That is it.

I don't even use text or phone calls or drop in accounts with passwords anymore since the phone is entirely compromised in all aspects of security.. 

Check out some of the dangerous permissions this pre-installed app has (Shame on you UMX/Assurancewireless):

 

[tvtoms]

I'm truly stunned by this thread. I just ordered an upgrade phone from my old Alcatel, and they're going to send me a UMX 693cl so I do some searching and this is where I've wound up!?
Yes I'm disabled on Lifeline and yes it's Assurance. An email came saying the phone is back ordered. Which other phone that they offer should I call and demand instead though!??
I have medical issues, am disabled and NEED to have 911 accessible at any given moment. This is no joke and I have no intention of letting them send me a device packed with malware (or "we don't consider it malware" garbage according to AW) and un-removable code that I would consider malicious.

Any advice on how to proceed in order to get an actual, safe, new smartphone while keeping the lifeline service? Until this mornings email and subsequent discoveries, I had no idea this was a question I had to ask.

[_W_]

48 minutes ago, tvtoms said:

 Which other phone that they offer should I call and demand instead though!??

You won't have a choice for a multitude of reasons.  Assurance does not give customer a choice to start with.  Their phone portfolio has shrunk recently and they seem to be offering 2 phones, the UMX and Wiko.  For some  reasons, they seem to bias to have more UMX phones. At this moment, the industry is suffering from chip shortages, so they are at a point of take what one can get.

I got involved to help a family friend, a senior, and more or less depends on having a working phone (heck, who is not these days).  I am quite stunned by the efforts it takes to get anything done with Assurance.  It's not just a matter of many phones calls, it's days and days of calls into customer service.  The reps are trained to repel the request for a replacement phone, especially choosing which phone,.

If your situation permits, porting to SafeLink is better.  SafeLink is a part of TracFone.  Their customer service is not great but they do allow you to bring your own devices.  Or, if you get one of their phones, you can remove the SIM and use it in another phone.  Assurance doesn't allow that, even after the line is transitioned to T-Mobile network.  It's down to picking the lesser of two evils.

[Spaceracer]

As this thread continues to prove, Assurance will not listen to their customers, and actually seem to be doubling down on their efforts to make a profit off those in the most need. Where I live, there are Assurance Wireless "salespeople" pushing these phones on unsuspecting people on every other city block. Every phone they give away is a UMX, and most of the people receiving them are poor families with little knowledge of the inner workings of smartphones. They are using these phones as lifelines for medical and financial needs, all without knowing the threat they face by using these phones.

 

Personally, I have tried to contact Assurance to receive a replacement phone. For almost twenty minutes, I was basically subjected to a phishing questionnaire by the flirty Indian woman representative who was more worried about how the weather was here and what I did for a living then she was about finding me a new phone. In the end, she suddenly transferred me to the exit survey after saying my phone will arrive in 7-10 days, without telling me which phone she was supposedly sending me. I've received zero notice by email or on my account about this order, and I seriously doubt it exist.

In my opinion, Assurance Wireless is beyond hope, and is now just another company making a profit data mining helpless customers. I am switching to a $10 per month talk and text plan, just to get my own phone and avoid ever dealing with this corrupt system again

(Note: "PC's for People" has a $15/mo unlimited Internet hotspot which is covered by the EBB program. This means that combined with a cheap calling plan, an unlimited plan can become decently affordable.)

[tvtoms]

Yes the lady rep who I've spoken to twice in the last two weeks was asking me how I'm doing a lot. No music on hold there, just the same lady thanking me endlessly and asking me to wait again.
My situation has been that I have my Alcatel phone sitting on a shelf and when I get a text, I look at it, and once a week I charge it up full. When an alert comes across I check it. Usually Assurance texts me once a month that I have to use it once a month to keep the service, so I reply to keep service. That's it. If I go to a doctor or somewhere, I take my phone. That's it.
I don't USE the thing and given the options of a gigantic flip phone that they've already sent me and this pre-infected monster I guess I'll toss the smartphone in a dumpster somewhere if they get them in stock before I call her back to say this option is also unacceptable to me. Can't believe this is my only option just to have a 911 phone in case I need it. A possibly unusable brick locked up with malware and ads in the moment I may need it, or a god awful ugly as sin flip phone that is easily 3 times as large as the original motorolas from the 90's.

[iBeleave]

I finally gave up on Assurance.  I talked with their reps, explained the situation (they also "assured" me it was not spyware, and the same as all phones, etc, etc).  I complained officially to the FCC, no use.  Once Assurance said they would send me a different phone (Wiko), but when it came, it was UMX, so I sent it back.  So far no one takes this issue seriously, regardless of the number of complaints.  The Oregon Lifeline customer service person said that Assurance WILL have choice of phones or bring your own phone once the transition to T-Mobile is complete, but I am not sure, and that seems to be in the distant future.  I switched to Access Wireless, they sent me a different phone, and if I don't like it, I can change phones.  No malware detected on the new phone - thank you Access Wireless.

[tvtoms]

2 hours ago, iBeleave said:

The Oregon Lifeline customer service person said that Assurance WILL have choice of phones or bring your own phone once the transition to T-Mobile is complete, but I am not sure, and that seems to be in the distant future.

In a letter from Assurance dated June 28 they state that the old system will be deactivated on Jan 1st, 2022. That is the date by which all customers must be switched to a tmobile device. The letter states that upgrading may be as easy as swapping sim card, so maybe that opens it up to other phones.

[mbam_mtbr]

Updated: Making UMX experience more tolerable 

UMX devices come with a couple of common annoyances.  Here is how to make your UMX experience more tolerable.

The first common annoyance on UMX phones is the default browser's (Chrome) default homepage. The default homepage is usually g22news.com, g21news.com, or another annoying URL.  The culprit causing this to be set as the default homepage is Customizations, or on newer UMX models TopicNews.   Customizations/TopicNews is also responsible for occasionally putting ads in notifications.  You can disable Customizations/TopicNews in Apps info.  Make sure to have Show system selected in App info (click the three dots in upper right to find).

 

If for some reason you choose not to disable Customizations/TopicNews but don't want g21news.com to be the default homepage, here's how to change the homepage on Chrome:

• Settings > Homepage
• Change the Open this page to Chrome's homepage or change the g21news.com link to whatever URL you like

 

Next up is Online Plus, or on newer UMX models Instant News.  It is responsible for the news pop up on the lock screen. Once again, you can just disable in App info.

Nathan

[tvtoms]

It's so much to go through just to have a device sit on a shelf for most of it's life. Currently I've got the big old flip phone and the umx 693 sitting in their boxes with one return shipping envelope.
I'm currently checking into alternate service in my area. Searching for companies near me who provide lifeline service shows a couple of dozen. Seems I am not cornered into using Assurance, so I can't imagine a reason why I would stay at this point.
Safelink Wireless is available where I am and they let you bring your own hardware. More than enough minutes etc. for me too. Currently just making sure there's no catch I'm missing but it's lifeline service so, pretty simple. Thanks for all the input and advice.

[SetecAstronomy]

 

The app used to infect the phone has changed. Topic and TopicNews are gone. The new one is 'informations'.

- SA

 

---

On 8/2/2021 at 9:47 AM, mbam_mtbr said:

Updated: Making UMX experience more tolerable 

UMX devices come with a couple of common annoyances.  Here is how to make your UMX experience more tolerable.

The first common annoyance on UMX phones is the default browser's (Chrome) default homepage. The default homepage is usually g22news.com, g21news.com, or another annoying URL.  The culprit causing this to be set as the default homepage is Customizations, or on newer UMX models TopicNews.   Customizations/TopicNews is also responsible for occasionally putting ads in notifications.  You can disable Customizations/TopicNews in Apps info.  Make sure to have Show system selected in App info (click the three dots in upper right to find).

 

[FlyingSavannahs]

Thanks for the life support!  Do the text of my post here still exist somewhere?  I haven't checked my account info yet and I'm new here so I know it could be.  I'll check now and update.  Thx.

[SetecAstronomy]

I've tried several times to post more in-depth instructions, but I keep getting a message about posting Spam ...

[AdvancedSetup]

You should be able to post now @SetecAstronomy without the alert

 

[JonSys]

On 11/23/2020 at 10:34 PM, mbam_mtbr said:

Hi @Chipperbad,

 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to reproduce what everyone is seeing myself. 

Please watch the video:

 

[JonSys]

On 7/30/2021 at 2:09 AM, Spaceracer said:

For almost twenty minutes, I was basically subjected to a phishing questionnaire by the flirty Indian woman representative who was more worried about how the weather was here and what I did for a living then she was about finding me a new phone.

Ditto, except my concern was cell reception, the 2nd worst problem on these phones before battery life and after malware.

[_W_]

Darn it!  The same thing is now effecting Wiko Life 2, which was supposedly a better phone.  These junks are pushed through MCM Client.  I am just exhausted as to why Sprint/T-Mobile keep doing this to all their phones.  What do they get out of this?!  The government pays them a nice chunk of money per line, often better what they get out of their direct customer on a family plan.  Must they make the Assurance phones so incredibly unbearable?