Forum Discussion
Help! Device Manager is auto-iinstalling apps from ads
This is happening on the S24
Some games from google play have ads that auto download applications. I traced it back toT-Mobile's Device Manager allowing malicious ads to auto install applications.
That's right, just watching the ad downloads an app. T-mobile has made it impossible to disable this app.
I am fearful of this massive security hole. I am scared of malicious apps being downloaded.
I have seen other complaints over the last few months
What can I do fix this major security hole?
JustJess wrote:
If you go to your apps list and try to open App Selector, you'll see it's connected to a few things like content manager and aura services. I used that make sure it didn't allow any installs by going through all of them there first, and then went to each of those apps on the app list, to turn off any permissions or uninstall/ disable if I could. Especially Aura Services as I noticed it had been running in the background without permission. And then also made sure to disable the App Selector as well. It seems to work for a bit, but I have to redo it everytime it installs an update. That's definitely something they need to fix for security purposes, I agree 100%.
Better still, go through your entire app list and uninstall things you don't recognize or that have been installed by "device manager". I just found a few more myself, like AppHub..
If you go to your apps list and try to open App Selector, you'll see it's connected to a few things like content manager and aura services. I used that make sure it didn't allow any installs by going through all of them there first, and then went to each of those apps on the app list, to turn off any permissions or uninstall/ disable if I could. Especially Aura Services as I noticed it had been running in the background without permission. And then also made sure to disable the App Selector as well. It seems to work for a bit, but I have to redo it everytime it installs an update. That's definitely something they need to fix for security purposes, I agree 100%.
I have decided to just uninstall and not use any apps that do this in the future. All I know is that the malware ads come from something called applovin.
I will be much more selective of what I get from the play store because even some popular apps shouldn't be trusted.
It is just too much of a security risk that that T-Mobile has created with their Device Manager allowing allowing 3rd parties to automatically download and install of potential malware.
Unfortunately, that did not fix it.
T-mobile's Device Manager is still trying to install stuff from an ad without any interaction on my part.
Thankfully, it failed this time.
I don't know why those were active for you. Mine were off by default. Hopefully that'll fix your issue.
I will try that. There are permissions set and it can change system settings. I deny all of it.
Thank you for sharing.
Check the permissions of the Device Manager. Possibly it does but needs permissions to do so. This is what mine looks like.
Correct, T-Mobile play is un-installed.
Seeing that the notifications say Device Manager when long selecting the notifications of the apps that get installed without any action on my part, I am at a loss of what app I could have installed that masquerades as T-Mobile's Device Manager.
Then it's some else you installed causing the issue. Did you uninstall T- Mobile Play?
tidbits wrote:
I have the S24U AppSelector and AppManager (I think this one can be uninstalled). Device manager does not install the apps as I would still be getting them as it can't be disabled.
I already did that to appselector and un-installed appmanager.
