

Ask HN: Have I been hacked? - jsp78

tl;dr - Periodically review the apps listed under "Manage Applications" &#62; "All" (Android) to make sure either your carrier or some other third party hasn't added some form of spyware.<p>I haven't checked the installed apps in a while and did so for the first time in a while today.  What I noticed were a lot of apps I didn't recognize including ones with generic sounding names and way more permissions then I'd expect.  The two that stood out to me are "Account and Sync Settings" and "Music Visualization Wallpapers".  I plan on formatting the phone later today just curious if anyone had insight on these or any of the other ones listed below.  I'm really not that much of an app downloader and would NEVER download anything having to do with wallpapers so I'm unclear how this stuff even got on my phone in the first place.  The ones marked (CL) I remember being loaded when I first got the phone (carrier loaded) and the ones marked (DL) I definitely downloaded myself.
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jsp78
Here is the full app list:

    
    
      Account and Sync Settings (38kb)
      (CL) Adobe Flash Player 11.1
      Android keyboard
      Android Live Wallpapers
      Android System
      (CL) AppPack
      AttendStar
      Bluetooth OPP
      Bluetooth PBAP
      Bluetooth Serivces
      Browser
      Calculator
      Calendar (google)
      Calendar Storage (google)
      Camera
      Car Home (8kb)
      Car Home (44kb)
      Certificate Installer
      ChargingTest (12kb)
      Clock
      com.android.svgplugin
      com.lge.hiddenmenu
      com.lge.internal
      com.lge.model
      com.lge.omadmclient
      com.lge.phonetestmode
      com.lge.util
      com.logmein.rescue
      com.logmein.rescuesecurity
      Contacts
      Contacts Storage
      (DL) Cut the Rope
      Dialer
      Dialer Storage
      Download Manager
      Downloads
      Drive
      DRM Protected Content Store
      (CL) EA Games
      (DL) Easy Voice Recorder Free
      Email
      (DL) Facebook
      (DL) Firefox
      FlexProvider
      Gallery
      Gmail
      Google Backup Transport
      Google Calendar Sync
      Google Contacts Sync
      Google Partner Setup
      Google Play Books
      Google Play Movies & TV
      Google Play Music
      Google Play Services
      Google Play Store
      Google Reader
      Google Search
      Google Services Framework
      Google+
      HiddenMenu_SDCardTest
      Home screen tips
      HTML Viewer
      Launcher
      LG Debug
      (DL) LinkedIn
      Live Wallpaper Picker
      LocMgrPD
      Magic Smoke Wallpapers
      Maps
      Market Feedback Agent
      Market Updater
      Media Storage
      (DL) Meetup
      Messaging
      Music
      Music Visualization Wallpaper (Perm: Hardware Controls - Change your audio settings, record audio)
      (CL) My Account (524kb)
      (CL) My Account (1.46MB)
      My Uploads (206kb)
      Network Location (346kb)
      News & Weather (704kb)
      (CL) NFS Shift (648kb)
      (CL) Nova (4.77MB)
      OMAP3 Camera
      Package Access Helper
      Package installer
      (DL) Pandora
      Pico TTS
      (CL) Polaris Office
      Power Off
      (DL) QR Droid Private
      (DL) Redbox
      (DL) Runkeeper
      Search Applications Provider
      Settings
      Settings Storage
      Setup Wizard
      (DL) Shazam
      SIM Toolkit
      (DL) Skype
      SmartShare
      (DL) Sound Recorder
      Status Bar
      Street View
      (DL) SwiftKey
      Swype
      (CL) T-Mobile TV
      Talk
      (CL) TegraZone
      (CL) TeleNav GPS Navigator
      (DL) Time Recording
      TTS Service
      User Dictionary
      Video Chat
      Video Player
      Voice Dialer
      Voice Search
      VPN Services
      (CL) WI-FI Calling
      (DL) YouTube
      (DL) Zillow
      (DL) Zillow Rentals
      (CL) Zinio Reader
      ZSProvider

------
allenz
FWIW I have "Music Visualization Wallpapers" installed as well. Given that it
has no network/SMS access I highly doubt that it is anything other than a
wallpaper app.

------
shawabawa3
Most likely thing is probably crapware that came with the phone. Are you sure
they weren't installed when you first got it?

~~~
jsp78
I know for a fact the wallpaper ones were not. The LGE and LogMeIn apps I
believe came as part of an "Android" update from the carrier (T-Mobile). Not
sure how "Music Visualization Wallpaper" works but seems odd that it would
need the ability to record audio.

