Is Drainbot Killing Your Smartphone Battery?

[HairyChick]

Got a gift of a new iPhone 7, upgrade from 6s, on Monday. Glad to see I’m not affected

A stealth program dubbed “DrainerBot” may be the culprit.

DrainerBot is a piece of software that has been embedded in hundreds of apps in the Google Play Store. The program, which downloads hidden or invisible video ads, is linked to a major fraud campaign.

It could also be costing you big money in the form of high data overages. In this article, we’ll explain what you need to know about DrainerBot and outline some steps to help you remove it.

DrainerBot: 3 things you need to know about the software that could be stealing your battery life

It appears to have been downloaded 10 million times
It can consume up to 10GBs of data per month
It appears to have only infected Android devices
The purpose of DrainerBot appears to be to artificially (and illegally) inflate video ad view numbers. It does that by downloading gigabytes of video ads into your smartphone

Even though you can’t see the video ads, those views are counted. The scheme is literally costing advertisers and phone users a fortune, according to Oracle, which exposed the software in a news release.

“The DrainerBot code appears to have been distributed via an infected SDK [Software Development Kit] integrated into hundreds of popular consumer Android apps and games like ‘Perfect365,’ ‘VertexClub,’ ‘Draw Clash of Clans,’ ‘Touch ‘n’ Beat – Cinema,’ and ‘Solitaire: 4 Seasons (Full),” Oracle said in a statement.

Here are some signs that your Android device may be infected with DrainerBot

According to Oracle, here are some signs that your phone may have an app infected by DrainerBot:

Apps crash your phone more often and programs become sluggish
Your phone’s battery lasts only a short time and it’s hot to the touch
Your phone is using dramatically more data than it did before installing a particular app
Here are the 2 ways to stop DrainerBot on your phone


You may not know where to start when it comes to finding out which particular app may be infected with DrainerBot. So here’s what you should do:

Go to Settings > Data Usage > App Data Usage and see if any apps are using an incredibly high amount of data. If so, they may be infected with DrainerBot. Once you’ve identified the data-draining app you can:

1. Delete the app in question

or

2. Open your settings and restrict the app’s permissions

A. Go to Settings, then click on Apps.

'DrainerBot' may be killing your phone battery: Here's how to stop it

B. Scroll to the individual app you want to access.

'DrainerBot' may be killing your phone battery: Here's how to stop it


C. Click on the app and go to App Info. You should then see Permissions.

'DrainerBot' may be killing your phone battery: Here's how to stop it

D. From there, click on App Permissions and adjust it accordingly.

'DrainerBot' may be killing your phone battery: Here's how to stop it

If you find that your phone is still sluggish or your battery is still draining faster than normal, locate another app that may be taking up a large amount of your phone’s bandwidth and repeat step 1 or 2.

Use this opportunity to review your phone’s privacy and security settings. Make any adjustments so that you can have the security and privacy you need when using your phone.

[candyflip]

The Google Play Store is garbage compared to the App Store.

People who are concerned with the privacy of their data don’t use Android.

[onwebcam]

All apps are a drain. Fuck'em all.

[AdultKing]

Originally Posted by candyflip

The Google Play Store is garbage compared to the App Store.

People who are concerned with the privacy of their data don’t use Android.

correct.

[HairyChick]

Originally Posted by candyflip

The Google Play Store is garbage compared to the App Store.

People who are concerned with the privacy of their data don’t use Android.

Some people think Android is the bomb. I’m sure someone here uses it but may not admit it.

For years they said smartphones were safe. I wonder how many people won’t be aware of this bot and get infected

When I say all technology is able to be exploited, I’m told that ******* is safest and to stop believing rumors.

Just a heads’ up in case you use Android.

[candyflip]

Android has never been safe. And even it if were from 3rd parties, you still have Google bending you over.

I pay for an iPhone for one reason, privacy. Apple’s pretty forward with their policies and are very concerned with maintaining that trust for their customers. With Android and Google, you and your data are the product and the moment you sign into their ecosystem your data is theirs.

[just a punk]

Originally Posted by PamWinterReturns

Some people think Android is the bomb. I’m sure someone here uses it but may not admit it.

I'm using Android only because it's comparable to iOS just like Windows to OS X. Both Apple systems are useless toys made for housewives. If you need a full control over your hardware, use Windows, Linux or Android which is also Linux ;)

With Android I can use SD memory cards, dual SIM etc. I can install any 3rd-party software from any place (including my own code of course). I have direct access to all files in the system just like on PC. I can download videos, images, books, music and everything else from external cards, web pages, ftp, torrents and whatever does exist in this world. I don't need to have an account in AppStore or anywhere else to do what I want and how I want it to be done.

As about privacy... I don't use my phone for work. It's a tool to make calls, send instant message, browse the internet and read books, watch videos or play casual games. So I don't need any supper-dupper privacy and since I'm using gmail and google in my browser the "company of good" knows everything about me. Android won't tell it more anyways ;)

P.S. Wanna privacy? Buy old good Nokia phone for $15 w/o Android, iOS, GPS etc and use it with a SIM card registered to John Doe for calls/SMS you don't want to be identified with you.

[King Mark]

I won't just admit, I will state I am a proud Android user. Using Android right now. Never had a drainbot or anything else. I use Windows too.

[AdultKing]

Originally Posted by CyberSEO

I'm using Android only because it's comparable to iOS just like Windows to OS X. Both Apple systems are useless toys made for housewives. If you need a full control over your hardware, use Windows, Linux or Android which is also Linux ;)

You have much more control over Mac OS / OS X than you do Windows.

Many developers prefer a Mac over a Windows machine because of things like brew.sh

Mac OS is real UNIX, POSIX compliant BSD.

[just a punk]

Originally Posted by AdultKing

You have much more control over Mac OS / OS X than you do Windows.

No, you haven't

Originally Posted by AdultKing

Mac OS is real UNIX, POSIX compliant BSD.

In fact it is not. It is Darwin with its own eco-system built over itself. Even the VFS and network stack have been partly rewritten. So process management, memory management etc have their roots in Mach microkernel and course which is more important, the device driver subsystem was written from the scratch by Apple, that's why you'll have a problem to connect some device you have no problems with under Windows and Android aka Linux. E.g. a custom-made programmer board or a device controller. Look at the pictures from NASA ground control center. What kind of PC's these guys do have and what operating system is running on them? A hint: it's not Mac OS X ;)

As about iOS. What kind of control are you talking about? Can you just run your own code from a memory card or external HDD? Can you download it from torrents and run with a single tap/click? Ok, can you do something even simpler, like downloading of movies from torrents? Can you share pictures, music, movies, books with your buddy without an internet connection - just copy it to a memory card and give it to him? Can you alter iOS system files from your file manager? You can do all that with Android, but not with iOS. Now please tell me what you can do with iOS and can't with Android. Ah?

[King Mark]

^^bro... Don't tell me your windows argument is for pirating shit..?

[just a punk]

Originally Posted by Dead Eye

^^bro... Don't tell me your windows argument is for pirating shit..?

Don't tell me that torrents can be used for piracy only, memory cards only to transfer data between spies and Al Qaeda members, knifes only to kill people, cars to use them only for terrorist attacks, mouths only to swear, cameras only to shoot porn etc. Wheh I take some device, I just want to be sure that my hands are not tied up. Android gives me that freedom, while iOS not.

[King Mark]

You got a point

[The Porn Nerd]

I use a flip phone.
Problem solved.

[CurrentlySober]

i cunt a4d any phone...

let alone the cost to actually make a phone call...