Gallery App is Malware?

[ChippersMom]

There were two Threat Alerts with the following details:

Threat Detected!
Security Threats

Gallery: Infected by: Malware

/system/priv-app/SecGallery2013/SecGallery2013.apk: Infected By: Malware

[banriona]

I got the notice today that the Gallery is malware and the crazy file /system/priv-app/SecGallery2013/SecGallery2013.apk.  thanks for all the info. it freaked me out this morning. not a good start to the day.

[ChippersMom]

So this is an update! When I spoke to the Verizon Tech support about 3 hours ago, we disabled the Verizon Support & Protection. I just got another Threat Alert - 12 hours after the second one this morning - with the same message.

I went into my Application Manager and saw it was active! I tried to Disable it - again - and this time got a message:

"Can't uninstall because this package is an active device administrator."

I did not get this message the first time I tried to disable it.

FORCE STOP and UNINSTALL UPDATES are "greyed out." I can't do a thing! Something or someone now has control of my phone.

Where's the nearest Apple Store?

I DO NOT SEE ANY RESPONSES FROM VERIZON HERE!!!!!!!!!  H-E-L-L-OOOOOOOO!

Verizon where are you?  

[tbo27]

they take longer to respond here as opposed if you reported the issue on twitter to @vzwsupport

[Pink131980]

Huh. I never would have thought to take this issue to twitter. I'll do that now and if they get back to me, I'll report back!

[ChippersMom]

O.K. Now I'm getting the Threat Alerts every 2 to 3 hours. I called Tech Support again - got someone in S. Carolina who transferred me to Tier 2 Tech Support in Boise, Idaho.

I misunderstood - the update to the Verizon Support & Protection was September 7th - not the 2nd! So that was yesterday. So this Tier 2 wants me to do a Factory Reset again. I said look - Verizon just did this update yesterday, and now all these people are having the same issue. He tried to blame my Apps - which I have honestly maybe half a dozen of - and I said all of these other people can't possibly have the exact same Apps that I do - but the common thread is that Verizon did this update and now the very next day there are these issues with Gallery Malware. He just kept blaming me and insisted the only thing to do was the reset.

I asked to speak to a Manager and he told me he wasn't allowed to give me their name - that he was as high as I could go and I couldn't speak to anyone else.

I finally got his equally snarky "Supervisor" on the phone who proceeded to tell me that there is a software issue and they're "coming up with a fix." So I ask then why is this Tech insisting I do another reset? What am I supposed to do with this phone? - whereupon he told me they're not doing any more tech support on my phone and hung up on me. HA!

[Snn5]

Nevermind what I have been saying.

[mountainear]

I have a Note 3 and got exactly the same message, mentioning exactly the same two items that supposedly had been infected with Malware.  I get the impression from this discussion thread that there is not actually an infection.  If anybody has more info about whether it is or isn't can you let the rest of the folks who come here know?

Anybody know what SecGallery2013.apk is?

The problem seems to be specific to the interaction between the Sept 7 update and the Note 3.  If you have info about the same problem on a different device, then adding a reply here could help the VSP folks figure out how to fix it.

@Pink131980:  I have not installed any of the apps you mention that you have installed recently.

[Snn5]

SecGallery2013.apk is a stock Samsung app.  It isn't malware.

[Pink131980]

I too, hope someone will reply here in more detail.

I've tweeted with two people at @VZSupport. It's slow going because it's Twitter, but they're trying.

ChippersMom that is not cool. Does your protection scan every 2 to 3 hours? I've set mine to scan only once a night.