Samsung Galaxy S Series

[wintee]

So my phone has reported today that it needs to install an app on my phone that I've never seen before.

It's titled MTC <something in russian> by OJSC Mobile TeleSystems.

It's not listed in my list of apps, but when I go to My Apps in Google Play it's listed as an update - as if it's already on my phone.

The comments for the app suggest it's possibly malicious.

Has anyone else been hit with this?

The only thing I can think of that has triggered this is that I uninstalled some of the crappy stock apps (Sims demo etc ) from the phone today.

[zzubnik]

This should explain it. 

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1564954

[SurfBay]

I had this happen to me for the first time less than an hour after you posted this!

The name of the app is: "MTC Μοбильная почта"
This translates to 'mobile post office' for anyone who wants to know!

I haven't done anything weird with my phone as far as I can recall; this just appeared and crashed during the installation of it - it only last 2-3 seconds in total.

Is this some type of virus? No idea what triggered this at all!

[wintee]

Yeah I saw the XDA response. 

It would be good if Samsung could provide some official response on this as it seems as though there are a lot of confused people out there.

[mat_ritchie]

I've also just seen this app turn up. Seemed to arrive when an auto update of other apps was going on.

What is the advice to get rid of this?

[davale06]

I called Samsung earlier this afternoon. Samsung said its not their liability and that it is Google and Google Play's issue, not theirs...

[Northern-dj]

Its Bloatware for some reason its hit the open Europe phones and some network phones

But as its in a different language it got every one worried

But when its on you can not get shut

Google are aware of it

Do not tooch it

Once its on its a pig to get shut as its

Its only effecting S2 users

It should go in a couple of days

[rob_nz]

Well, Samsung can't entirely dodge this one,as the root cause is a supplier of one of their bundled apps.

Apparently the original source of this app is a comapny called Seven, who bundle email apps for various OEM and Carrier partners, including Samsung.

It appaears Seven distributed several app packages to diffent partners under the same package name and signed with the same signing certificate.

This wasn't an issue initially as these 'white box'  apps were installed as original bundled software and never on the Google Store.

The problem surfaced when this Russian carrier posted an update to the bundled app on the store.

Many Samsung phones saw the package name and valid signing cert and thought they needed to update the Samsung email app whivh has the same package name.

[wintee]

If you want to get rid of the update message, go into Settings/Applications, select Google Play and clear your data/cache for that app.

It worked for me. You just need to tick some "I Agree" boxes next time you start the market/play and you should be on your way!

Whose fault is this? I don't really care, just as long as they don't let it happen again.

My concern is that while it wasn't a malicious app this time, it may have exposed a hole in the whole Google Market system.

The app was telling me that it was already installed, when it wasn't. A novice user may well be coerced into installing the rogue app.

[Northern-dj]

Well spotted the ROB

There seems to be a Vodafone connection as well i wonder what else this company does

[rob_nz]

7?

They make email clients, including Samsungs.

They've been around a while in the WinMo world apaprently and are quite legit.

They just seem to ship all variants of their software to their OEM customers with the same Package ID and signing cert.

[Northern-dj]

Aparantly its a App that was made for the Russian network, and it's a update that was done via google to update there app, now how and why this has been affected and why is trying to be put on none russian phone we have no idea 

And Google are not saying much 

But the finger is pointing at Google here 

I would post on

http://groups.google.com/a/googleproductforums.com/forum/#!forum/mobile