Why My Compiled App With Trojan / App has virus

Hi again Ray

Huawei do not pre-install Avast, so that must have been done by the Reseller? Note that there shouldn’t be two AV apps running on the device at the same time.

Personally, having seen so many reported issues caused by Avast on Windows Desktop, I would uninstall it. However, Huawei’s built-in AV returns a false positive whether or not Avast is there.

So, it is certainly true that the Huawei/Avast AV engines pick up something produced by the latest App Inventor version and equally true that there is no virus in the App Inventor Companion APK. I’m sure Avast will test the file and agree they have a false-positive, and fix it. They have never been willing to reveal the cause of their errors though and Huawei will continue to be polite but not deliver anything useful.

Can you uninstall Avast and repeat your tests to compare nb180 and nb181b?

@ChrisWard

Hi Chris,

My two Huaweis are of different ages, they were purchased from different places.

The fact is that Huawei has definitely pre-installed Avast. See also here: https://consumer.huawei.com/de/support/how-to/detail-troubleshooting/de-de00708844/
and attached screenshots.


This has nothing to do with the “Avast mobile security” app, which can be installed separately.

At first you don’t notice the existence of this preinstalled virus checker. Only when you open the “Optimizer” app, which is also preinstalled, you will find it. See attached screenshots. Or if an app is installed that is said to be infected.

You cannot remove this preinstalled virus checker without root rights, and there is no version number. You cannot change anything at all, i.e. you cannot deactivate or uninstall it. On other cell phones, the app is called “Telefonmanager”, at least in Germany.

Of course there is NO virus in the App Inventor system! It is just annoying when a false alarm is constantly reported. In my opinion, there can only be a solution if MIT contacts Avast to find a common solution. The MIT is a great and renowned university with a very high level. It should be possible that Avast is also keen to support MIT. That is just a suggestion.

I see. There is no indication that Huawei AV is actually a built-in version of Avast, but you have discovered that is the case… on our P30, we have never seen any mention of Avast, including the logo, so it might be location (country) dependent.

On the device, if you install a 3rd Party AV (not Avast!), does it then allow you to switch-off Huawei AV?

I currently have an enquiry with Avast and I will put your discovery to them. The snag is, the deal between the two companies was probably made before the political turmoil and so all hands are likely tied. We have already jumped through a lot of hoops and got nowhere. Avast or any other AV company would never make any kind of “allowance” for MIT or any other organisation formally - that would of course represent a huge risk for App Users (in theory - in practice, different for most of course).

03/01/2020 10:36, support@help2.avast.com wrote:

Hello,

Thank you for reporting this false positive.

Our virus specialists have now cleared its reputation in our database.

With URLs this change should be instant, but it might take up to 24 hours with files.

For future reference you might also find the following article to be useful: Avast Clean Guidelines.

Best regards,

Avast Customer Care

1 Like

Bom dia a todos! Tenho um Xiaomi Redmi note 8 pro, Android 9, MIUI 11 e comigo aconteceu também testado hoje dia 03/01/2020 foto em anexo.
O Smartphone vem de fabrica com app de verificação de vírus e acusou que o MIT AI2 companion é um vírus trojan de alto risco. Sabemos que é um erro. Um falso positivo. Mas seria bom uma solução. Fiz teste de um app com apenas um botão sem nenhuma função e também acusou trojan de alto risco. Acredito que esse erro é referente as definições de vírus do avast pre instaladas nos dispositivos Xiaomi e Huawei com verificação de segurança pre instaladas. Mas na versão nb180 do MIT App inventor isso nunca aconteceu comigo. Testei o mesmo app de um simples botão no virustotal.com e o resultado é seguro. somente no momento de instalação do app no smartphone reporta virus de alto risco

Google Translate:
Good morning everyone! I have a Xiaomi Redmi note 8 pro, Android 9, MIUI 11 and it happened to me also tested today 01/01/2020 photo attached.
The smartphone comes from a factory with a virus scan app and has accused MIT AI2 companion of being a high risk trojan virus. We know it is a mistake. A false positive. But a good solution would be. I tested a one-button app with no function and also accused high-risk trojan. I believe this error refers to avast virus definitions pre installed on pre-installed Xiaomi and Huawei security scanned devices. But in the nb180 version of the inventor MIT App this never happened to me. I tested the same app from a simple button on virustotal.com and the result is safe. only at app install time on smartphone reports high risk virus

@K_SJ Please read the posts above, especially the most recent by ChrisWard that has the following message from AVAST

Hello,

Thank you for reporting this false positive.

Our virus specialists have now cleared its reputation in our database.

With URLs this change should be instant, but it might take up to 24 hours with files.

For future reference you might also find the following article to be useful: Avast Clean Guidelines.

Best regards,

Avast Customer Care

. AVAST apparently has to update their virus signature white list every time App Inventor provides a new release. Check your app in 24 hours and see if things work properly.

Further Response from Avast:

Greetings,

Thank you for contacting Avast with your concerns.

Yes the virus definitions are updated for all devices. Nevertheless it may happen that app can be detected on one device and not on other. I suspect it should not be the case here.

Should you have any other inquiries please don’t hesitate to contact me again.

Best Regards,

Ondřej
The Avast Support Team

@ChrisWard

Hi Chris,
No, Avast cannot be uninstalled or deactivated even by installing 3rd Party AV.

I fear that the virus definition updates will not be updated immediately when Avast updates them, but only when there is a new update from Huawei. I assume that, but I don't know.

By the way, what applies to Avast also applies to AVG, see here Impressum | AVG. It is the same company.

Hi Ray

Huawei claim automatic updates are offered within 30 days (does not compare well to the likes of Samsung etc). You can try a manual update - it will check for availability.

Not only are Avast related to AVG, the AVG “engine” is used by many other AV companies. A bit like Volkswagen…

You mean VAG :wink:

I have the same problem in my Huawei Y6. I have been using app inventor 2 more than one year. I have published 5 Apps in google play store. I updated my apps in december and sudenly the avast show a warning of a virus, the Evo-gen. The same happens with the companion app. This never happended in the past with the same phone.

Hey, I have exactly the same problem that Ray is talking to. My cell is an Huawei y6. I have had this cell during 13 months and I have published 5 apps in google play store. The problem started in December when I updated my apps. I only use app inventor tool, and I do no have external files or extensions. I tried to uninstall Avast, but the cell told me it is not possible. I do not think the compiler is compromised, but something happened and all my updated apps are showing the Evo-gen virus warning. I live in latin america and a lot of people use Huawei here, therefore mi app will show a virus for users of Huawei. Thank you for your help

Hello Juan

See my post re the response from Avast about Huawei. Avast agree it is a false positive and Huawei will get an update from them.

I have reported both Avast and AVG (same company) the false positive and have my app set on the whitelist. After a few days I now no longer get a false alarm. This affects both the avast antivirus integrated in the huawei phone and the two apps from avast and AVG.

me pasa lo mismo en mi huawei

Leiste las respuestas anteriores?

@giusseeppe_andrade_m Sorry, the problem is with probably ALL huawei devices. Complain to Avast and Huawei please.

Hello Giusseeppe - first and foremost, download the latest updates from Huawei, good chance that will fix the problem. If it doesn’t, fill-in Avast’s online form (Avast is used by Huawei, they don’t make their own AV).
See my website for a link to the report form:
https://www.professorcad.co.uk/appinventortips#TipsAntiVirus Links to Virus Report Forms

It’s probably nothing to worry about - a false positive.

virus protection of android thinks that my app is trojan. I do not know why?

Here is probably why:

Use the forum search box and use the directions on this image to read the articles. You probably have a Huawei device that uses an Avast virus checker. Other users of other virus checkers usually do not have this problem.