Hacked phone. How can i solve it?
 

Hello!
I am a newbie and IT is not my "element". I have a Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S, Os Android. My phone is hacked and i do not know how to protect myself. I have some questions about it:
- Can i solve my problem Changing my phone? Or My number?
I did the hard reset, i generated my passwords through random.org. But my phone keeps on with weird reboots and chats that i haven't deleted keep disappearing.
I am using a vpn by proton. But nothing.
I hope to find a solution to protect myself.

Thanks in advance

Some malware can't be removed. We can't say what is going on or why.

There is a way to return to as bought sort or deal on android.

Might consider a new phone.

Might see if an opensource disto can be installed.

If I do not know how i got hacked, does it make sense to buy a new phone? Will i have to change my number too? What is disto ?

You're a 'newbie'...who has been a member here for more than a year? Who knows about VPN's, telegram instant messaging, alternative search engines, etc.??? And who had a different phone just a short time ago?
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...er-4175670506/

And with MANY other "hacking" threads, what exactly leads you to believe your phone is 'hacked', versus you just having a defective phone? Or your phone receiving updates and rebooting? Or any number of other things that could cause a phone to reboot, that you're not mentioning?? And have you tried anything to research this, because your exact phone/model has been reported to suffer from a random reboot problem:
https://piunikaweb.com/2021/01/04/re...ment-released/

And from a common-sense standpoint, how would changing your phone number help? Is it your phone number or your PHONE that has been 'hacked'??

I will try to ignore the arrogance of your answer. I posted this thread to understand how to protect myself. The fact that my phone is hacked is not in dispute. And I expect no one to do it. I have mentioned suspicious activity on my phone, but I have no intention of describing my entire situation. And it's not even the first time this has happened to me, unfortunately. So if you want to help me well, I'm not here to ask someone if what I'm saying is the truth. My phone has always worked great, it is absolutely not faulty and I am studying to understand things I would not have wanted to study. I hope I was clear.

And anyway the sims can be cloned, first point. Second point, sims are hackable. Third point I don't know how my phone was hacked so it is clear that I am evaluating a solution that can solve the problem.

There are many things here being thought wrong about Cris. First, the only reason that she created an account here, in LQ, is me. I thought her about these forums, and said that she eventually can ask for help here. Your tone is bad, and wrong. Look how many threads she opened. Look how many posts she did. So, she did not say she is a newbie to get help easier. It is true. If you do not think so, let other people help. I am sure that LQ community is good for that.

So, Cris does not understand many - possibly most - technical details about how Android works. And much more what it has in common with linux, in general, because linux is something she does not know at all. She never used a linux before.

And when jefro says "disto", it is also something that only helps to confuse things more. If an open source alternative is possible, for the OS in her phone, she needs detailed steps with that.

Help is needed to:

- confirm the phone is hacked

- understand why using VPN to change all passwords still feel like it did not help against the supposed hacker accessing her social networks

Everyone, mainly TB0ne, understand that:

- if Cris uses Telegram today, is because i presented it to her, a few years ago

- it was me who told her about random.org, and explained her how to generate random passwords there

- it was me who, among a few alternatives, chose and helped her installing and using ProtonVPN in her phone and computer, and using it

- it is me who tries to help her with many things in the computer or phone

- but i cannot help her with instagram, facebook, twitter and whatsapp things because i have no account in all these services, so i have no real knowledge on how they work, how they allow users to control and check everything being done with each account. I can only guess, based on what i see in email, Telegram and a few other account based services.

And my knowledge in Android is also very limited. So, i suggested her to open a thread here - this thread.

Very clear; you either have no evidence, or you won't provide it. In either case, there is zero anyone can do to help you. You claim to want help, but then say you're not going to describe your situation or give any details. What, exactly, do you think we are going to be able to tell you???

You also ignore the manufacturers own statement that addresses your 'hacking' claim, which is that of random reboots.
First point: yes, sims can be cloned
Second point: yes, sims are hackable
Third point: you still haven't provided any evidence that you were 'hacked'

You mention VPN's, telegram encrypted messenger, different browsers, etc....for what reason?? You claim to have 'suspicious activity on your phone'...and won't say what it is/was. Don't think a technical forum is the right place to get help in this case.

How, exactly, is someone posting preventing anyone else from posting??
So if you claim to know this person, why aren't YOU helping them?? Why don't YOU provide this information??
Which is why they were ASKED to provide details about what made them think their phone was hacked. Again: manufacturer addressed random reboots in their own press, from their own company. And using a VPN doesn't make you invisible or somehow 'safer'...it just routes your traffic through another channel. If this person has a PC, or has bad passwords, it doesn't take much skill to get in, which brings us to, "Why?" Someone isn't going to go through the trouble of doing any of this without a REASON, and that's typically money.
So why didn't you then answer any of their questions about Linux, Android, etc., nor tell them about why messages 'reappeared' in telegram, help them with VPN, or anything else? But want to complain about others trying to assist, and asking questions which aren't answered?? Sorry, no...there is STILL nothing here that indicates anyone is 'hacked', or any 'suspicious activity'. The OP themselves even flat out said they weren't going to explain the situation.

Since you claim to know this person, then YOU should know the situation...so feel free to help.
You mean ANOTHER thread, different from the one last year? They didn't mention having any assistance in getting an alternative browser downloaded and loaded, nor in getting Telegram set up/downloaded/configured either.


If you want to help this person, then do so. If they want help from others, then they need to do the exact same things as everyone else, for every other problem, about every other subject:

• Provide details/proof/examples, and answer questions when asked.

Otherwise, it's pointless; would be like calling a garage and saying "Someone tampered with my car!" and they ask "What did they do?", and then saying, "I'm not telling you, but I know they did it, so tell me what I have to do to fix it".

(most) Some people are unable to keep Android up to date because Google s*&^s and won't provide updates.

A new phone tends to have current updates.

Installing untrusted apps will usually cause issues.

And installing them on a phone that has a known issue of random reboots (the EXACT SYMPTOM) the OP reports as one of the signs of being 'hacked', only compounds things. And since we also don't have any details at all from the OP, we can't even speculate on the Android version or what their carrier has put on the device...sometimes, the latest version of Android won't be pushed out because of carrier limitations, the bloatware apps they put on, etc. We just don't know, and the OP won't say.

Android phones typically have an option in Settings to reset the device to factory default settings.

This will remove all applications and data added to the phone and return it to its original state.

You might look into using some sort of security program on the phone. My cellphone provider (who I've been with for over two decades) offers something called "Lookout" and I know that McAfee and Avast offer anti-malware programs for Android; I'm sure others do also.

Ignore TB0ne's arrogance, sure. But don't ignore the questions they asked.
We need more details, how else are we going to answer?

If you have "no intention of describing my entire situation" (at least from a technical POV, nobody's interested in your personal life) then there's no way of giving you any help, and the matter ends there.

Generally speaking: Sure, all sorts of sh1t is possible - doesn't mean it's likely to happen to you. You always have to eliminate the most likely explanations before you can move on to the esoteric stuff.

Lastly, while Android uses a Linux kernel, it is not by any definition a true Linux operating system - you might simply be posting to the wrong forum.

Well that's the thing to do.

Can't imagine it had problems right at that point.

Consider what next things you do with it. I.e. problems may be with accounts you add or authorize it to use.

Consider another hard reset and then use it without any customizations for a bit.

If you still feel there are problems then bring it to the phone store and ask their advice.

Redo the "Factory Data Reset". Read my article on Android Privacy Tips for a safe way to use Android.
Ed

If I got a phone that acted that way, the first thing I would do is send it back. The second thing would be to get a different make and model of phone to replace it, and have my provider put my number onto the new phone.