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Can I scan system apps on mobile?

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arijan
edited January 18 in Mobile Security

Can't find the option. :(

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Answers

  • Hi


    I think the justification does not stand.

    Even if those files cannot be removed by Bitdefender, we still should be AWARE of malicious content on our devices.

  • Alexandru_BD
    Options

    Hi @vltakacs,

    Mobile Security will make sure that the Android device stays clean by automatically scanning any application immediately after its install. So, it will no longer scan those apps that have been scanned before or that have not been altered in any way. The only scanning option on Android is to scan the storage or not, and this is enabled by default. You can adjust the Scan Storage option from the Settings menu. However, it won't scan system applications, for the following reaasons:

    1. System applications SHOULD not be infected;

    2. Applications installed in those locations cannot be uninstalled anyway.

    I hope the information is helpful.

    Regards,

    Alex

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user

  • Well Then viruses and spyware SHOULD NOT exist so Bitdefender also SHOULD NOT exist? This is a logical fallacy. Because they do. Come on be serious, please. Bitdefender and antiviruses are here to shed light on things that SHOULD NOT BE!

  • Alexandru_BD
    Alexandru_BD admin
    edited January 17
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    @vltakacs System applications cannot be scanned also because there are OS limitations in place. If Android does not give permissions for developers to access certain locations, you can't scan them. But that's the least of concerns on Android OS at the moment, there are many other threats out there, system apps are not really the issue here, in my opinion.

    I'm saying SHOULD NOT be infected because when you buy a new phone, you assume it's clean, right? It is only when you are starting to use it that you expose yourself to various online threats. For this reason, Bitdefender Mobile Security scans all installed applications and .apk files before they are installed, so they cannot do anything to corrupt the system, so there's no need to scan system apps anymore.

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user

  • No I respectfully disagree. When I buy a new phone I HOPE there is nothing malicious is there on it. Especially in case of some Chinese phones, but there were examples of backdoors on bigger brands too. You are probably aware of that, as you are also working in cybersecurity, if not, please do the research.

    Anyway. The purpose of copanies like Bitdefender is detect the undetected, to blow the whistle.

    I understand there are difficulties with scanning for system files, but then you should say that and only that and not usiung some false argument built on trust in unknown contents like a system partition.

    Bad thing sometimes happen and your solution is supposed to be one of those solutions to shed light on it.

    Supposedly. Maybe I am wrong. You tell me.

  • Flexx
    Flexx DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2023 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭ mod
    edited January 18
    Options

    Your question has been answered in below stated link by the bitdefender android product developers.

    https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/92682/bitdefender-does-not-scan-all-files

    The post is closed for further comments. If you want to reopen the post, kindly contact any moderators or the administrator of the Bitdefender community forum.

    Regards

    Life happens, Coffee helps!

    Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!

    Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)

  • Alexandru_BD
    Options

    Of course we can respectfully agree to disagree around here, there's no problem in that, on the contrary, I encourage different opinions and invite everyone to share theirs on these pages. 🙂

    Yes, I'm aware of what you just said and for this reason I'm using an iPhone with Mobile Security installed. My phone isn't nearly as vulnerable to malware as most devices, and that's a known fact, but I'm also aware it can't offer any safety guarantees, so it's not bulletproof. I know I can still face a number of privacy and security risks every time I turn my device on, so that's why I decided to install Mobile Security, for peace of mind.

    The purpose of companies like Bitdefender is detect the undetected, to blow the whistle. - I totally agree with you on this one. And that's exactly what Bitdefender is doing, see for yourself.

    You might be inclined to think that if you only install apps from official stores like Google Play, you are much safer. The reality is that Google often removes malicious apps from its store only after security researchers have discovered them. This means people had already downloaded them without even conceiving they might be exposing their devices to malware.

    This is where App anomaly detection comes into play. It looks at how the application behaves in the background, even if it’s not categorized as malware yet. Users will receive a notification immediately advising them to uninstall the app. Of course, in the unlikely event that the user might want to keep the apps, the option to add it to a list of exceptions is also provided.

    Scanning the apps during installation is an excellent way to protect users, but the protection doesn't stop there. Using machine learning-based models, Bitdefender can identify a threat even if it’s unknown until that very moment.

    I think purchasing mobile devices only from trusted sources is common sense, after all. The antivirus may not protect you if you bought a shady device from dubious marketplaces that has who knows what installed on it. In the same way, it will not protect your PC from theft if you leave it unattended. The first and perhaps most important measure of protection is prevention.

    Regards

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user