3 ms·

This is not malware. It's an official part of Google Play Services.

RobotToaster 4mo ago
Those are not mutually exclusive.
ale42 4mo ago
It all depends on how you define malware. If malware is software doing something that is contrary to the user's interests, then for many users it is indeed malware.
- someonebaggy 4mo ago
  Too much hedging in this comment. Malware is something that maliciously breaks your computer. This maliciously breaks my computer so it's malware. There's no difference between this and the ILOVEYOU virus, except the delivery mechanism.
  - spaqin 4mo ago
    Can I install some software on your computer to send me over your bank details? It won't break your computer, I promise, it's not malware.
- charcircuit 4mo ago
  >this malevolent process has exactly one goal: to block you from running software by developers who haven’t been approved centrally by Google. This claim is made by FDroid with no evidence. They make this scary claim which goes against everything Google has claimed so far. They are a biased party, and I can't trust their opinion. I would appreciate if they shared a more in depth investigation or a way to verify there big claim.
  - psd1 4mo ago
    Trust is not binary; we can process data with a level of confidence. We do not need either Google or F-Droid to be sanctified before we evaluate their claims. The claim is that a repeat monopolist is doing monopolist things. Feel free to make the case for the trustworthiness of Google's opposing claim, as I don't see anyone else doing that.
  - notrealyme123 4mo ago
    Google wrote their plans as blog posts.
    - charcircuit 4mo ago
      But the plan doesn't include blocking developers who are not verified. You can still sideload such apps once you enable sideloading for them.
deleted 4mo ago
[deleted]
mdp2021 4mo ago
The point is that it is said to tamper with your installations. If it does, it is malware.
- charcircuit 4mo ago
  It doesn't tamper with your installations.
  - psd1 4mo ago
    False
  - Aachen 4mo ago
    Oh? Maybe you could comment on what part of the f-droid article is wrong
    - charcircuit 4mo ago
      >If you are running Android 8 or higher, a virus has been installed on your device and is silently awaiting remote activation. I have such a phone and the "virus" has not been installed to it. There is no evidence behind this claim. >with as many as 4 billion Android handsets and tablets estimated to have already been contaminated This is misleading wording. It's just as true to say that as many as 1 trillion devices have been contaminated. It is state an impossible upper bound to drum up fear. >this trojan horse runs surreptitiously in the background as a system service with full root privileges Services in Android do not run with root privileges. Android practices the principal of least privilege where individual permissions are granted instead of giving it blanket access to everything. >The service cannot be blocked, disabled, or removed. This is unlikely to be true. You can most likely use "am" to disable it. >In fact, Play Protect is itself the vector through which this virus is transmitted and installed. This is probably false. Realistically it's going to be transmitted via the google play store like all other play service components. >There are many things we don’t know about what to expect on September 30 >What will happen if I try to install or launch the F-Droid app? Once active if FDroid not verified the user has to use adb or have enabled sideloading by unverified developers. If it's already installed the user can launch it. >What will happen to all the apps I’ve installed through F-Droid? Will they be disabled? Deleted? Nothing will happen to them. >If apps that I rely on are suddenly disappeared, what happens to the data they contain? Can I still retrieve it? Nothing will happen. But if Play Protect were to flag malware it manually asks you if you want to delete the app. If you delete the app the data will be lost.
someonebaggy 4mo ago
Which is malware.
vrighter 4mo ago
it is malware when everyone is explicitly asking to not have it.

Those are not mutually exclusive.

ale42 4mo ago

It all depends on how you define malware. If malware is software doing something that is contrary to the user's interests, then for many users it is indeed malware.

someonebaggy 4mo ago
Too much hedging in this comment. Malware is something that maliciously breaks your computer. This maliciously breaks my computer so it's malware. There's no difference between this and the ILOVEYOU virus, except the delivery mechanism.
- spaqin 4mo ago
  Can I install some software on your computer to send me over your bank details? It won't break your computer, I promise, it's not malware.
charcircuit 4mo ago
>this malevolent process has exactly one goal: to block you from running software by developers who haven’t been approved centrally by Google. This claim is made by FDroid with no evidence. They make this scary claim which goes against everything Google has claimed so far. They are a biased party, and I can't trust their opinion. I would appreciate if they shared a more in depth investigation or a way to verify there big claim.
- psd1 4mo ago
  Trust is not binary; we can process data with a level of confidence. We do not need either Google or F-Droid to be sanctified before we evaluate their claims. The claim is that a repeat monopolist is doing monopolist things. Feel free to make the case for the trustworthiness of Google's opposing claim, as I don't see anyone else doing that.
- notrealyme123 4mo ago
  Google wrote their plans as blog posts.
  - charcircuit 4mo ago
    But the plan doesn't include blocking developers who are not verified. You can still sideload such apps once you enable sideloading for them.

deleted 4mo ago

[deleted]

mdp2021 4mo ago

The point is that it is said to tamper with your installations. If it does, it is malware.

charcircuit 4mo ago
It doesn't tamper with your installations.
- psd1 4mo ago
  False
- Aachen 4mo ago
  Oh? Maybe you could comment on what part of the f-droid article is wrong
  - charcircuit 4mo ago
    >If you are running Android 8 or higher, a virus has been installed on your device and is silently awaiting remote activation. I have such a phone and the "virus" has not been installed to it. There is no evidence behind this claim. >with as many as 4 billion Android handsets and tablets estimated to have already been contaminated This is misleading wording. It's just as true to say that as many as 1 trillion devices have been contaminated. It is state an impossible upper bound to drum up fear. >this trojan horse runs surreptitiously in the background as a system service with full root privileges Services in Android do not run with root privileges. Android practices the principal of least privilege where individual permissions are granted instead of giving it blanket access to everything. >The service cannot be blocked, disabled, or removed. This is unlikely to be true. You can most likely use "am" to disable it. >In fact, Play Protect is itself the vector through which this virus is transmitted and installed. This is probably false. Realistically it's going to be transmitted via the google play store like all other play service components. >There are many things we don’t know about what to expect on September 30 >What will happen if I try to install or launch the F-Droid app? Once active if FDroid not verified the user has to use adb or have enabled sideloading by unverified developers. If it's already installed the user can launch it. >What will happen to all the apps I’ve installed through F-Droid? Will they be disabled? Deleted? Nothing will happen to them. >If apps that I rely on are suddenly disappeared, what happens to the data they contain? Can I still retrieve it? Nothing will happen. But if Play Protect were to flag malware it manually asks you if you want to delete the app. If you delete the app the data will be lost.

someonebaggy 4mo ago

Which is malware.

vrighter 4mo ago

it is malware when everyone is explicitly asking to not have it.