How to remove Rusty Droid from Android devices
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of malware is Rusty Droid?
Rusty Droid is the name given to a specific type of malware known as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) that primarily targets Android users. A Remote Access Trojan is a malicious program that is designed to secretly infiltrate a user's device, in this case, an Android smartphone. Rusty Droid enables cybercriminals to gain unauthorized remote access and control over the infected device.
Rusty Droid in detail
One of the defining characteristics of Rusty Droid is its versatility. It can engage in a wide range of malicious activities, including sending SMS messages and spam, intercepting emails from Gmail accounts, and even reading SMS messages and push notifications on the device. Such capabilities allow it to compromise user privacy and steal sensitive information.
Rusty Droid can also function as a keylogger. It discreetly records every keystroke made on the infected device, capturing passwords, login credentials, credit card details, and personal messages. This data is then transmitted to cybercriminals, who can exploit it for financial gain or other malicious purposes, leaving victims vulnerable to identity theft and fraud.
Beyond privacy invasion, Rusty Droid can inflict significant financial harm. It has the capacity to steal seed phrases for cryptocurrency wallets, potentially leading to the theft of valuable digital assets. Additionally, it can initiate calls to premium-rate numbers, resulting in financial losses for the victim.
To compound its malicious intent, Rusty Droid can escalate its privileges to gain administrative control over the device. This empowers it to lock the screen, mute the device, open links in browsers, clear app data, view the list of installed apps, or even remotely launch applications.
| Name | Rusty Droid remote access trojan |
| Threat Type | Android malware, malicious application, unwanted application. |
| Detection Names | Avast-Mobile (Android:Evo-gen [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (Android.Trojan.Banker.ACV), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Android/Spy.Banker.BUL), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan-Dropper.AndroidOS.Badpack.g), Full List (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | The device is running slow, system settings are modified without user's permission, questionable applications appear, data and battery usage is increased significantly, browsers redirect to questionable websites, intrusive advertisements are delivered. |
| Distribution methods | Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, deceptive applications, scam websites. |
| Damage | Stolen personal information (private messages, logins/passwords, etc.), decreased device performance, battery is drained quickly, decreased Internet speed, huge data losses, monetary losses, stolen identity, and more. |
| Malware Removal (Android) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your mobile device with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, Rusty Droid stands as a potent and insidious threat to Android users, capable of infiltrating devices with stealth and sophistication. Its diverse range of capabilities, from keylogging to cryptocurrency theft, poses a serious risk to user privacy, security, and financial well-being.
To guard against Rusty Droid and similar malware, users must remain vigilant and prioritize cybersecurity best practices. More examples of RATs targeting Android users are AIRAVAT, Pekka, and Gigabud.
How did Rusty Droid infiltrate my device?
Users infect their Android devices through various means, often unwittingly exposing their smartphones and tablets to malware and security threats. One common method is downloading and installing apps from unverified or third-party sources, a practice that can introduce malicious software disguised as legitimate applications.
Another avenue for infection is phishing, where users may click on links or open email attachments from unknown or suspicious sources, inadvertently inviting malware onto their devices. Visiting compromised or malicious websites can lead to drive-by downloads, automatically placing malware on the device without user consent.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Exercise caution when downloading apps by verifying their legitimacy and sourcing them exclusively from trusted app stores like Google Play. Employ secure browsing practices by avoiding suspicious or unverified websites and only clicking on links from trusted sources. Scrutinize app permissions before installation, ensuring that they align with the app's intended functionality.
Be careful when encountering suspicious emails and messages. Regularly update the operating system and installed applications to patch vulnerabilities and bolster device security. Install reputable antivirus or mobile security apps.
Rusty Droid's administration panel:
Rusty Droid disguised as Google Chrome:
Quick menu:
- Introduction
- How to delete browsing history from the Chrome web browser?
- How to disable browser notifications in the Chrome web browser?
- How to reset the Chrome web browser?
- How to delete browsing history from the Firefox web browser?
- How to disable browser notifications in the Firefox web browser?
- How to reset the Firefox web browser?
- How to uninstall potentially unwanted and/or malicious applications?
- How to boot the Android device in "Safe Mode"?
- How to check the battery usage of various applications?
- How to check the data usage of various applications?
- How to install the latest software updates?
- How to reset the system to its default state?
- How to disable applications that have administrator privileges?
Delete browsing history from the Chrome web browser:
Tap the "Menu" button (three dots on the right-upper corner of the screen) and select "History" in the opened dropdown menu.
Tap "Clear browsing data", select "ADVANCED" tab, choose the time range and data types you want to delete and tap "Clear data".
Disable browser notifications in the Chrome web browser:
Tap the "Menu" button (three dots on the right-upper corner of the screen) and select "Settings" in the opened dropdown menu.
Scroll down until you see "Site settings" option and tap it. Scroll down until you see "Notifications" option and tap it.
Find the websites that deliver browser notifications, tap on them and click "Clear & reset". This will remove permissions granted for these websites to deliver notifications. However, once you visit the same site again, it may ask for a permission again. You can choose whether to give these permissions or not (if you choose to decline the website will go to "Blocked" section and will no longer ask you for the permission).
Reset the Chrome web browser:
Go to "Settings", scroll down until you see "Apps" and tap it.
Scroll down until you find "Chrome" application, select it and tap "Storage" option.
Tap "MANAGE STORAGE", then "CLEAR ALL DATA" and confirm the action by taping "OK". Note that resetting the browser will eliminate all data stored within. This means that all saved logins/passwords, browsing history, non-default settings and other data will be deleted. You will also have to re-login into all websites as well.
Delete browsing history from the Firefox web browser:
Tap the "Menu" button (three dots on the right-upper corner of the screen) and select "History" in the opened dropdown menu.
Scroll down until you see "Clear private data" and tap it. Select data types you want to remove and tap "CLEAR DATA".
Disable browser notifications in the Firefox web browser:
Visit the website that is delivering browser notifications, tap the icon displayed on the left of URL bar (the icon will not necessarily be a "Lock") and select "Edit Site Settings".
In the opened pop-up opt-in the "Notifications" option and tap "CLEAR".
Reset the Firefox web browser:
Go to "Settings", scroll down until you see "Apps" and tap it.
Scroll down until you find "Firefox" application, select it and tap "Storage" option.
Tap "CLEAR DATA" and confirm the action by taping "DELETE". Note that resetting the browser will eliminate all data stored within. This means that all saved logins/passwords, browsing history, non-default settings and other data will be deleted. You will also have to re-login into all websites as well.
Uninstall potentially unwanted and/or malicious applications:
Go to "Settings", scroll down until you see "Apps" and tap it.
Scroll down until you see a potentially unwanted and/or malicious application, select it and tap "Uninstall". If, for some reason, you are unable to remove the selected app (e.g., you are prompted with an error message), you should try using the "Safe Mode".
Boot the Android device in "Safe Mode":
The "Safe Mode" in Android operating system temporarily disables all third-party applications from running. Using this mode is a good way to diagnose and solve various issues (e.g., remove malicious applications that prevent users you from doing so when the device is running "normally").
Push the "Power" button and hold it until you see the "Power off" screen. Tap the "Power off" icon and hold it. After a few seconds the "Safe Mode" option will appear and you'll be able run it by restarting the device.
Check the battery usage of various applications:
Go to "Settings", scroll down until you see "Device maintenance" and tap it.
Tap "Battery" and check the usage of each application. Legitimate/genuine applications are designed to use as low energy as possible in order to provide the best user experience and to save power. Therefore, high battery usage may indicate that the application is malicious.
Check the data usage of various applications:
Go to "Settings", scroll down until you see "Connections" and tap it.
Scroll down until you see "Data usage" and select this option. As with battery, legitimate/genuine applications are designed to minimize data usage as much as possible. This means that huge data usage may indicate presence of malicious application. Note that some malicious applications might be designed to operate when the device is connected to wireless network only. For this reason, you should check both Mobile and Wi-Fi data usage.
If you find an application that uses a lot of data even though you never use it, then we strongly advise you to uninstall it as soon as possible.
Install the latest software updates:
Keeping the software up-to-date is a good practice when it comes to device safety. The device manufacturers are continually releasing various security patches and Android updates in order to fix errors and bugs that can be abused by cyber criminals. An outdated system is way more vulnerable, which is why you should always be sure that your device's software is up-to-date.
Go to "Settings", scroll down until you see "Software update" and tap it.
Tap "Download updates manually" and check if there are any updates available. If so, install them immediately. We also recommend to enable the "Download updates automatically" option - it will enable the system to notify you once an update is released and/or install it automatically.
Reset the system to its default state:
Performing a "Factory Reset" is a good way to remove all unwanted applications, restore system's settings to default and clean the device in general. However, you must keep in mind that all data within the device will be deleted, including photos, video/audio files, phone numbers (stored within the device, not the SIM card), SMS messages, and so forth. In other words, the device will be restored to its primal state.
You can also restore the basic system settings and/or simply network settings as well.
Go to "Settings", scroll down until you see "About phone" and tap it.
Scroll down until you see "Reset" and tap it. Now choose the action you want to perform:
"Reset settings" - restore all system settings to default;
"Reset network settings" - restore all network-related settings to default;
"Factory data reset" - reset the entire system and completely delete all stored data;
Disable applications that have administrator privileges:
If a malicious application gets administrator-level privileges it can seriously damage the system. To keep the device as safe as possible you should always check what apps have such privileges and disable the ones that shouldn't.
Go to "Settings", scroll down until you see "Lock screen and security" and tap it.
Scroll down until you see "Other security settings", tap it and then tap "Device admin apps".
Identify applications that should not have administrator privileges, tap them and then tap "DEACTIVATE".
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
My device is infected with Rusty Droid malware, should I format my storage device to get rid of it?
Rather than jumping to the extreme step of formatting your storage device, which should be regarded as a final option, it is prudent to explore alternative methods. We advise using trusted antivirus and anti-malware utilities such as Combo Cleaner to eradicate the Rusty Droid malware.
What are the biggest issues that malware can cause?
Using malware-infected devices can result in various negative consequences, including data breaches, financial losses, data encryption, privacy infringements, system interruptions, subsequent infections, and other detrimental outcomes.
What is the purpose of Rusty Droid?
The purpose of Rusty Droid is to act as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) targeting Android devices. Its primary objective is to gain unauthorized remote access and control over infected Android smartphones or tablets. Rusty Droid can carry out a range of malicious activities, including data theft, spying on the user, keylogging, cryptocurrency theft, initiating premium-rate calls, and manipulating device settings, among other actions.
How did a malware infiltrate my device?
Malicious software commonly spreads through phishing methods and social manipulation strategies, encompassing tactics like deceptive system notifications and malicious spam emails. Furthermore, users may unwittingly acquire malware while browsing deceptive pages, clicking unreliable ads, or downloading files from peer-to-peer networks and similar sources.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?
Combo Cleaner is equipped with the capability to detect and eliminate the vast majority of malware infections. Exceptionally advanced malware can embed itself deeply within the system. Hence, performing a thorough system scan becomes imperative to successfully eradicate concealed threats.
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