Hello. My android’s security scan uses Avast and this morning after performing the scheduled scan it always does when left charging overnight I found out it detected the Android Switch app as a trojan. The message I got is as follows (would upload an image, but I can’t link other sites on the message):
Android Switch
Malicious App
Risk level:
High
Risk name:
Android:Evo-gen [Trj]
Risk details:
The virus is a trojan. It is a a malware designed to provide unauthorized, remote access to a user’s device. They can lead to other malware being installed on a machine, various data being stolen, or other malicious activities.
- Uninstall
- Move to Isolation Box
I followed the advice of the antivirus and uninstalled the app. Fortunately my phone hasn’t and didn’t display any strange behaviour now or beforehand. I ran another scan just in case and no further issues were found. I also ran a scan with Malwarebytes and neither found any threats.
Now, there are some things I am confused about. I never installed the App, rather is an app that comes with the android, with some people calling it bloatware. I checked around and it’s actually on the Google Store with 3.8 stars in score and while it has a couple of people with my same issue, it’s only in the last couple of days. On my end I don’t use my phone that much, I don’t surf the web, use social media or install apps with it so it’s not like I may have unintentionally opened or downloaded something dangerous.
I did try looking around first for this same issue, but nothing much. The picture I posted above is from a reddit post of a person asking the same as me, but didn’t get an answer either. There isn’t any talk around about Android Switch turning out to be a dangerous app and the trojan it supposedly has has popped up in my searches, but more often than not as a false positive that Avast and Norton and other antiviruses with similar engines pick up.
So my question is, is this a real threat or it was just a false alarm from my Avast?