I discovered bluetooth hacking software on my iPhone. What do I do?

Question

Level 1

8 points

I discovered bluetooth hacking software on my iPhone. What do I do?

I recently downloaded and used two recommended apps, Onovoa Count and Onovo Extend, to see how much MB each app was using and if any apps were using data that I wasn't aware of.

After tracking for two days, the app, Malaysia Car Plate, showed extremely high usage considering: that (a) I had never heard of this app (b) I never used any app with even a similar name to it .... or supposed function (c) I was aware of the other apps that were listed as used and the amounts I was using them.

I searched for the app on my phone....no results. On the web, the first hit I got also contained the words " Bluetooth hacking software" . I really don't know more than that.

How can I remove this. Is this, indeed, what is going on?

Any input would be helpful.... Thank you.

iPhone 4

Posted on Dec 9, 2012 8:30 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 9, 2012 8:43 AM in response to Lori3824

How did you get these apps on the phone? I am asking because I do not find them on the iTunes store, which should be your only source for apps. Are they on the Malayxian app store?

The other possibility is that this is a jailbroken phone. If that is the case you need to look elsewhere for support.

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Answer 2

tonefox

Level 6

9,368 points

Dec 9, 2012 8:49 AM in response to Lori3824

If your phone is not jailbroken, then the software is not there, and the Onavoa report is in error.

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Answer 3

tonefox

Level 6

9,368 points

Dec 9, 2012 8:50 AM in response to laundry bleach

It's legit: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/onavo-count-data-usage-manager/id543547474?mt=8

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Answer 4

Dec 9, 2012 8:52 AM in response to tonefox

Right you are. The misspelling fooled me.

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Answer 5

Dec 9, 2012 8:57 AM in response to tonefox

Malaysia Car Plate is a legitimate app in the app store.

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Answer 6

Lori3824 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 9, 2012 9:29 AM in response to Lori3824

Thanks...sorry about the Onavo misspell. I did check the App Store to see ifMalaysia Car Plate was legit. I found it there but, I guess, that does not mean that it does what it porports to...actually something to do with Malaysian liscense plates. Still, all of the other apps Onavo listed as using cell data on my phone actually exists. Your take on this, tonefox, is that Onavo is misconstruing the usage of an app for one which I do not have? Just pulled this Malasia Car Plate from thin air? Unless the jail breaking occurred without my knowledge, this is not the case.

The other aspect I dont understand is that Onavo reconfigured my settings to include VPN which I have never used. Perhaps the Onavo app is the one of which I should be suspect. It came recommended from a site I trusted.

I have read of all of the secure reasons to use a VPN but could this be use to steal data without one's knowledge? That is one with little knowledge, lol.

Thanks for thinking about this.

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Answer 7

Dec 9, 2012 9:48 AM in response to Lori3824

Onavo routes all of your Internet traffic through their servers via VPN so they can see where it goes. That's the only way to track your usage by app as it cannot be done on the phone due to Apple restrictions on apps.

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Answer 8

MrElvey

Level 1

61 points

Sep 21, 2013 9:11 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Right. It's frightful that they don't disclose that up front (at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/onavo-count-data-usage-manager/id543547474?mt=8, the page about Onavo Count), and that Apple lets them do so. They don't even have a link to their privacy policy there! Only the page about Onavo Extend has a link, to http://www.onavo.com/privacy_policy.

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Answer 9

Sep 21, 2013 11:00 AM in response to MrElvey

That first link describes exactly how the app works. What is it that they are not disclosing? There are many thousands of apps (probably tens of thousands) that route your data through their servers. Every multiplayer game, for example. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Find Friends. Whatsapp. Tumblr.... Then there are the proxy-based web servers, such as Skyfire, Google Chrome, Opera. Every search app.

If this bothers you then you shouldn't have any smart phone.

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