Avast Mobile Security Antivirus in Rooted Phone

Avast Mobile Security Avast Mobile Security for Android
1

Hi,

I’ve a rooted phone and have read through the whole description at Google Play Store.

Since there was no mention of antivirus on rooted device, does the Avast antivirus really protect part of the phone’s system that is now exposed by rooting?

2

I guess Avast doesn’t really protect the system part that’s now exposed after rooting. Otherwise, they would have include it in the description.

Just wondering why Avast doesn’t provide such feature for users with rooted phones like me.

Wouldn’t the antivirus be more useful than the firewall for rooted phone?

Any opinions from fellow rooted phone users?

3

Hi,

you’re correct, right now Mobile Security doesn’t really protect the system part exposed by rooting. But there are two steps that you have to do to get a malware app that somehow takes an advantage of the root. 1) You actually have to install the app, which AMS should catch. 2) Usually you have to allow the root access with a Superuser app or something similar, and you don’t (I hope) do that for suspicious apps that obviously don’t need it.

Ondra

4

Be rooted is always an adventure… I like to live a little dangerously ;D
My Samsung Galaxy Nexus is rooted and with avast! of course :wink:

5

Thank you Ondrej for your reply. I’ve done a little research on this issue.

I’ve come across on how malware can bypass Google’s Bouncer. I believe a malware can do the same to the antivirus too by pretending to be a legitimate application and then stealthily and dynamically downloading malicious behaviours.

On a rooted device, this can be really critical since the malicious app may be granted super user privilege by user as the antivirus flagged it as clean during installation.

Yes, I understand what you mean. I’m wondering whether malware can bypass this

After the little research I’ve done, I think I know why Avast doesn’t offer antivirus that make use of super user privilege to protect the Android device.

Let’s assume a case of false positive. An antivirus with super user privilege can end up deleting critical system files thereby bricking the device.

I believe this’s the reason why Avast doesn’t offer antivirus that make use of super user privilege rather than technical difficulties.