“How does some malware manage to survive a smartphone factory restore?”

(Answer requested by Lilly Vugheen)

Android smartphones keep a spare copy of the operating system on hand, stored in protected files. These files are what’s used to rebuild the system after a factory reset, or a root.

Rare but virulent Android “xHelper” malware can break into and alter the protected files. So, when you reset the phone, it rebuilds itself with hooks for malware already in place.

However, this is rare, and requires a narrow and unusual set of circumstances to pertain before it can happen; usually including the phone’s owner deliberately sideloading unverified third-party software — a known and easily-avoided infection vector.

More info:

• New ‘unremovable’ xHelper malware has infected 45,000 Android devices
• This New Android Malware Can Survive a Factory Reset
• Researchers finally discover how Android malware that could …

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