How I Saved My Mini SD Card from a Hacker’s Attack Using Only My Android Device and a Terminal Emulator

Question:

How can I recover the full capacity and remove the malicious files from a mini SD card that has been compromised by a hacker, using only an Android device with a terminal emulator and WiFi access?

Some additional sentences to explain the context are:

  • – The mini SD card is supposed to have 16 GB of storage, but it shows only 15.5 GB available, and there is a hidden partition that I cannot access or modify.
  • – The hidden partition contains files that interfere with my system packages, kernel modules, and boot process, and possibly install a rogue program on any device that uses the card.
  • – The hacker may have created a virtual network or a Bluetooth connection to remotely access and control the card and the devices.
  • – I have tried various methods to format, partition, and erase the card, such as gparted, ndisk, and others, but none of them worked.
  • – The hacker has already damaged two Windows machines and two Raspberry Pi devices that I used with the card, and I have no other computing or communication devices left.
  • Answer:

    How to Recover a Hacked Mini SD Card Using an Android Device

    If you have a mini SD card that has been hacked by a malicious actor, you may be wondering how to restore its full capacity and remove the unwanted files from it. This article will show you how to do that using only an Android device with a terminal emulator and WiFi access.

    A mini SD card is a small storage device that can be used to store data, such as photos, videos, music, documents, and more. It can also be used to boot operating systems, such as Windows or Linux, on devices that support it, such as laptops, tablets, or Raspberry Pi.

    However, a mini SD card can also be compromised by a hacker, who can use it to install malware, spyware, ransomware, or other harmful programs on your devices. A hacker can also create a hidden partition on the card, which can take up some of the storage space and prevent you from accessing or modifying it. The hidden partition can contain files that interfere with your system packages, kernel modules, and boot process, and possibly install a rogue program on any device that uses the card.

    The hacker may have created a virtual network or a Bluetooth connection to remotely access and control the card and the devices. This can pose a serious threat to your privacy, security, and data integrity.

    You may have tried various methods to format, partition, and erase the card, such as gparted, ndisk, and others, but none of them worked. The hacker may have locked the card or encrypted the partition, making it impossible to modify or delete.

    The hacker may have already damaged two Windows machines and two Raspberry Pi devices that you used with the card, and you have no other computing or communication devices left. You are left with only an Android device with a terminal emulator and WiFi access. Is there any hope for you to recover the card and get rid of the hacker?

    The Solution

    Fortunately, there is a way to recover the card and remove the malicious files from it, using only an Android device with a terminal emulator and WiFi access. The steps are as follows:

    1. Download and install a terminal emulator app on your Android device. A terminal emulator app is an application that allows you to access and execute commands on your Android device, similar to a command-line interface on a computer. There are many terminal emulator apps available on the Google Play Store, such as [Termux](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.termux), [Terminal Emulator for Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jackpal.androidterm), or [Termius](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.server.auditor.ssh.client). Choose one that suits your preference and install it on your device.

    2. Connect your mini SD card to your Android device using an adapter. You will need an adapter that can connect your mini SD card to your Android device, such as a micro SD to USB adapter, a micro SD to OTG adapter, or a micro SD to USB-C adapter. Plug the adapter into your Android device and insert the mini SD card into the adapter. You should see a notification on your device that a new storage device has been detected.

    3. Open the terminal emulator app and grant it root access. You will need root access to perform the operations on the card, such as formatting, partitioning, and erasing. Root access is the ability to modify the system files and settings of your Android device, which are normally restricted by the manufacturer or the carrier. To grant root access to the terminal emulator app, you will need to have a rooted Android device, or use an app that can root your device temporarily, such as [Magisk](https://magisk.me/), [KingRoot](https://kingroot.net/), or [Framaroot](https://framaroot.net/). Follow the instructions of the app to root your device and grant root access to the terminal emulator app.

    4. Identify the device name of your mini SD card. You will need to know the device name of your mini SD card, which is a string that represents the location of the card in your Android device’s file system. To find out the device name of your card, type the following command in the terminal emulator app:

    `ls /dev/block` This will list all the block devices on your Android device, such as `/dev/block/sda`, `/dev/block/sdb`, `/dev/block/mmcblk0`, etc. Look for the one that matches the size of your mini SD card, such as `/dev/block/mmcblk1` for a 16 GB card. You can also use the following command to check the size of each device: `blockdev –getsize64 /dev/block/` Replace `` with the device name you want to check, such as `/dev/block/mmcblk1`. This will show the size of the device in bytes, such as `16000000000` for a 16 GB card. Note down the device name of your mini SD card for later use.

    5. Format the mini SD card using the mkfs command. The mkfs command is a command that can create a file system on a storage device, such as FAT32, NTFS, EXT4, etc. To format the mini SD card using the mkfs command, type the following command in the terminal emulator app:

    `mkfs -t /dev/block/` Replace `` with the file system you want to use, such as `fat32`, `ntfs`, `ext4`, etc. Replace `` with the device name of your mini SD card, such as `/dev/block/mmcblk1`. This will erase all the data on the card and create a new file system on it. You can also use the `-f` option to force the formatting, in case the card is locked or encrypted. For example: `mkfs -t fat32 -f /dev/block/mmcblk1` This will format the card as FAT32 and overwrite any existing data or partitions on it.

    6. Verify that the formatting was successful and the card has been recovered. To verify that the formatting was successful and the card has been recovered, you can use the following commands in the terminal emulator app:

    • `ls /dev/block` to check that the device name of your card is still the same, such as `/dev/block/mmcblk1`.
    • `blockdev –getsize64 /dev/block/` to check that the size of your card is the same as before, such as `16000000000` for a 16 GB card.
    • `mount /dev/block/ /mnt` to mount the card to a temporary directory, such as `/mnt`.
    • `df -h /mnt` to check the available space and usage of the card, which should be close to the full capacity, such as `15.5G` for a 16 GB card.
    • `ls /mnt` to check the contents of the card, which should be empty or contain only the default files of the file system, such as `lost+found` for EXT4.
    • `umount /mnt` to unmount the card from the temporary directory.
    • If everything looks normal, then congratulations, you have successfully recovered the card and removed the malicious files from it. You can now use the card as normal, or transfer your data back to it from a backup source.

      The Conclusion

      In

    this article, we have shown you how to recover the full capacity and remove the malicious files from a mini SD card that has been compromised by a hacker, using only an Android device with a terminal emulator and WiFi access. We have explained the problem, the solution, and the steps to follow. We hope this article was helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading.

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