Ask HN: Have I been hacked?

[jsp78]

tl;dr - Periodically review the apps listed under "Manage Applications" > "All" (Android) to make sure either your carrier or some other third party hasn't added some form of spyware.

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.

[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 → shawabawa3]

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.