Google Acknowledges Vulnerability in Millions of Android Devices; Promises Fix

Advertisement
By Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 23 March 2016 21:42 IST
Google Acknowledges Vulnerability in Millions of Android Devices; Promises Fix

Millions of Android smartphones and tablets are vulnerable to security attacks, Google has warned. The vulnerability, if exploited, gives an app unfettered root access, circumventing various Android security layers. The Mountain View-based company has made available a patch to OEMs, and says it is currently working on a fix for the Nexus lineup.

Security researchers spotted an app in the Google Play, Android's marquee app store, which tries to leverage the vulnerability. Android inherited the flaw from Linux years ago. Interestingly, Linux developers fixed the bug in 2014, and it was later on flagged as a vulnerability - identified as CVE-2015-1805 - early last year.

The vulnerability is present in all Android releases that are based on Linux kernel version 3.4, or 3.10, or 3.14. Android versions based on Linux kernel 3.18 or higher aren't affected, Google assures. Most Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based devices run on kinux Kernel v3.18, however, different OEMs often use different Linux kernel versions - thus, it is hard to correlate Android version with kernel version.

Google acknowledged the existence of the vulnerability in an advisory it sent last week. "An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the kernel could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code in the kernel. This issue is rated as a critical severity due to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise and the device would possibly need to be repaired by re-flashing the operating system," the note reads.

Advertisement

Google didn't disclose the name of the app, though it noted that the offending app was available from Google Play as well as third-party sources, and Nexus 6 and Nexus 5 smartphones were affected. It also noted that it has published the patches for the flaw with OEMs, and also published them to the Android Open Source Project. It is up to manufacturers now how long they take before pushing the updates to their respective devices.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Upcoming Phones in July: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, OnePlus Nord 5, More
  2. Nothing Phone 3 Surfaces on Geekbench Ahead of Launch on July 1
  3. Oppo Reno 14 Pro 5G Series Set to Launch in India on This Date
  4. Samsung Smart Monitor M9 Launched Alongside Updated M8 and M7 Models
  5. iPhone 16 Drops Under Rs. 69,000 With This Offer, Making It a Great Deal
  6. Lumio Arc Projector Teased Ahead of Possible Amazon Prime Day Launch
  7. Redmi K80 Ultra With Dimensity 9400+ SoC Launched at This Price
  8. Motorola Teases New Phone Launch in India; Could Be the Moto G96 5G
  9. Realme P3x 5G Now Available in India With Limited-Time Discount: Details
  1. Axiom Mission 4 Successfully Docks on International Space Station; Shubhanshu Shukla Becomes First Indian to Reach Milestone
  2. Redmi K80 Ultra With Dimensity 9400+ SoC, 7,410mAh Battery Launched: Price, Specifications
  3. Telegram Bot Reportedly Spotted Selling Sensitive Personal Data of Indian Users
  4. Nothing Phone 3 Confirmed to Feature 50-Megapixel Periscope Telephoto Camera
  5. Vodafone Idea Rolls Out New Max Family Plan with Bundled Netflix Subscription: Price, Benefits
  6. Samsung Galaxy Buds Core TWS With ANC, Galaxy AI Features Launched in India: Price, Specifications
  7. iPhone 16 Available at Rs. 68,400 With Cashback Offer, Making It a Great Deal
  8. Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 With Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, 50W Wireless Charging Launched: Price, Specifications
  9. Anthropic Now Lets Claude Users Build and Share AI-Powered Interactive Apps
  10. Lumio Arc Projector Teased Ahead of Possible Amazon Prime Day Launch
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.