Google Pushes Out Android Security Patch To Crush Critical Flaws

Google has fixed a batch of security holes and flaws in Android, with eight critical issues and 18 ‘high severity’ issues foxed in the February update.

The update will roll out to a host of Android smartphones via over-the-air updates and will change the build numbers of the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones.

Patching Android

Google patch severe security holes such as one critical vulnerability that could enable malicious hackers to remotely execute code on an device through multiple vectors such as email, web browsing, and the use MMS when processing media files.

The search giant received no reports of these flaws being exploited, so appears to have fixed the problems in a timely manner that beat intrepid hackers to the post.

Other vulnerabilities were found in various parts of Android, such as the Framework application programming interfaces (APIs) and the Android Open Source Project mail, as well as fixing an elevated privilege vulnerably in the Bluetooth connectivity at a software level in Android phones.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been alerted to the changes, according to Google, so the patches can be expected to be pushed out to the likes of Samsung, Sony, HTC and LG devices shortly.

“Exploitation for many issues on Android is made more difficult by enhancements in newer versions of the Android platform. We encourage all users to update to the latest version of Android where possible,” Google said.

It is no surprise that Google discovered hidden flaws in its mobile operating system, given it pays independent security researchers and ‘white hat’ hackers copious sums of cash as rewards for spotting security vulnerabilities in its bug bounty programme.

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