Google issues ‘severe’ Android alert – how to check if your device is affected
If you have an Android smartphone, you need to make sure you do one thing – and right now.
Google recently identified 51 bugs that could expose devices to cybercriminal attacks.
The company this week issued an ‘update now warning’ for millions of Pixel and Samsung users to install the new software to patch out these vulnerabilities.
Two of the flaws are known as ‘zero days’ – when hackers discover a glitch before developers, so have limited time to exploit it before it’s patched.
In this case, hackers can use these zero days to slip spyware into phones so they can monitor people’s activities.
‘The most severe of these issues is a high-security vulnerability in the System component that could lead to remote code execution with no additional execution privileges needed,’ Google warned.
We’ll spare you the technical jargon, but one zero day, CVE-2024-43093, can allow cybercriminals to peek into Android phones’ sensitive data or perform unauthorised actions.
This glitch, according to Google, is a ‘privilege escalation flaw’ impacting the Google Play system.
The other zero day, called CVE-2024-43047, affects a microprocessor chip in Android phones that processes digital signals.
The flaw enables hackers to corrupt phone memory and gain unauthorised access. America’s Cyber Defence Agency has mandated all federal employees update their phones to fix the bug.
The agency said it’s ‘unknown’ whether the zero day has been used in ransomware campaigns.
How can I check if my Android device needs to be updated?
A simple way to see if you need to worry is by checking what software your phone has. If it’s 2024-11-05 or later, you’re all good.
The patch is for Android versions 12, 13, 14, and 15, so users are urged to check their phones for any software updates.
Under About phone or About device you can tap on Software updates to check if there are updates available for your device.
There might be slight differences based on the brand, type and Android version of your device, however.
So if there isn’t an update right now, keep checking. Samsung and other phone manufacturers will release their own set of bug fixes.
Of course, it’s not just American federal officials who need to update their phones – every Android user should as soon as it’s available on their phones, Google stressed.
The announcement comes only weeks after Android users were warned to stop downloading ‘malicious apps’. This is because Android users, unlike those tapping away on Apple iPhones, can download apps outside the official app store.
Analysis of major fraud malware found that more than 95% of installations came from sideloading sources. Google has since rolled out an AI-powered live threat detection that raises the alarm when malware sneaks into someone’s phone.
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