Virus warnings on certain websites on Android?

[NiceCupOfTea]

Over the last few months I have had a few virus warnings on my Android phone. I don't visit dodgy sites, I don't have any antivirus stuff installed, and I haven't noticed any problems otherwise. I did have "run apps from 3rd party sources" ticked, now it is unticked yet I still get them.

They always manifest themselves in the same way - I visit some link from the Facebook app, generally one of the "21 pictures of people failing at something" sort of thing that you will be used to see if you follow George Takei or the like. As you are reading the page it pops up an Android error box with a badly spelled message about "virus detected, do you want to remove?" Tap anywhere and you get some screen telling you what supposed viruses you have, and then get taken to Google Play to download "360 Security" a free antivirus. This seems to be a genuine app, and nobody else has complained that it's a virus laden site/link. I have installed a totally seperate antivirus which says I am virus free.

Anybody shed any light?

[Ste1987]

I get the same, too and it pisses me off. If I reopen the page with Chrome I don't get that problem

[JimbobVFR]

They're just crappy pop up ads masquerading as virus warnings. I do like chrome on Android but I've found the pop up blocker in Dolphin Browser to be much more effective at stopping this sort of crap.

Anther tip is to go into the settings, click apps and clear the defaults for the Play store, that means rather than opening the store app you'll be asked what to use to open links to the Play store, makes it easier to cancel opening them.

[cornet]

If you want it to stop then stop going to every site someone posts on Facebook. Just because the site doesn't contain porn doesn't mean it isn't "dodgy".

Also don't under any circumstances install that 360 Security "Virus Scanner" - no matter what the google play store reviews say.


Edit:

In case anyone us under any doubt about 360 "Security" here is the list of permissions it asks for:

Version 3.2.6 can access:

Device & app history
read sensitive log data
read your Web bookmarks and history
retrieve running apps
Identity
find accounts on the device

Contacts
modify your contacts
read your contacts

Location
approximate location (network-based)
precise location (GPS and network-based)

SMS
receive text messages (SMS)
send SMS messages
edit your text messages (SMS or MMS)
read your text messages (SMS or MMS)

Phone
write call log
directly call phone numbers
reroute outgoing calls
read call log
Photos / Media / Files
read the contents of your USB storage
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

Camera
take pictures and videos
Wi-Fi connection information
view Wi-Fi connections
Device ID & call information
read phone status and identity

Other
receive data from Internet
delete other apps' data
read Home settings and shortcuts
connect and disconnect from Wi-Fi
view network connections
install shortcuts
expand/collapse status bar
control vibration
access Bluetooth settings
close other apps
pair with Bluetooth devices
run at startup
draw over other apps
modify system settings
use accounts on the device
full network access
change network connectivity
measure app storage space
delete all app cache data
write web bookmarks and history
prevent device from sleeping
set an alarm
read Google service configuration

Edited by cornet on Tuesday 7th July 17:44

[WinstonWolf]

'kin ell...

[plasticpig]

cornet said:

If you want it to stop then stop going to every site someone posts on Facebook. Just because the site doesn't contain porn doesn't mean it isn't "dodgy".

Also don't under any circumstances install that 360 Security "Virus Scanner" - no matter what the google play store reviews say.


Edit:

In case anyone us under any doubt about 360 "Security" here is the list of permissions it asks for:

Edited by cornet on Tuesday 7th July 17:44

To be fair looking at the apps functionality it actually requires most of those permissions to work properly. Having said that it's developed by a Chinese company and that would pretty much stop me from installing it.

[cornet]

plasticpig said:

To be fair looking at the apps functionality it actually requires most of those permissions to work properly. Having said that it's developed by a Chinese company and that would pretty much stop me from installing it.

Being deliberately cynical here but you could say that "Features have been added to the app in order to legitimise the requirement for all the permissions".

The fact it's free (with no in-app purchases either) and the use scammy advertising rings major alarm bells for me. Not a chance I would install that on anything other than a throwaway phone for research purposes (to see what data it's sending back to them).