Trojan:Android/Oldboot.A

Classification

Category :

Malware

Type :

Trojan

Platform :

Android

Aliases :

Trojan:Android/Oldboot.A, Android.Oldboot

Summary

Trojan:Android/Oldboot is reportedly the first malware to infect the boot partition of the Android operating system (also known as a bootkit).

Removal

Once the scan is complete, the F-Secure security product will ask if you want to uninstall the file, move it to the quarantine or keep it installed on your device.

A False Positive is when a file is incorrectly detected as harmful, usually because its code or behavior resembles known harmful programs. A False Positive will usually be fixed in a subsequent database update without any action needed on your part. If you wish, you may also:

  • Check for the latest database updates

    First check if your F-Secure security program is using the latest updates, then try scanning the file again.

  • Submit a sample

    After checking, if you still believe the file is incorrectly detected, you can submit a sample of it for re-analysis.

    Note: If the file was moved to quarantine, you need to collect the file from quarantine before you can submit it.

  • Exclude a file from further scanning

    If you are certain that the file is safe and want to continue using it, you can exclude it from further scanning by the F-Secure security product.

    Note: You need administrative rights to change the settings.

Technical Details

Trojan:Android/Oldboot is reportedly most likely to have been distributed in a firmware update targeting Android devices in mainland China.

When the device is updated, the malicious code is included in the read-only physical boot partition of the device. Storing the code in this location means that it is restored fresh to the root directory of the operating system every time the device is rebooted, making attempts by security solutions to completely remove it from the file system ineffective.

While active, the bootkit reportedly performs such actions as monitoring and deleting SMS messages, stealing SMS message contents and forwarding them to a remote server and installing unwanted apps onto the device.

For more information, see: