Ohad Bobrov and Avi Bashan, the two Check Point researchers who discovered the latest vulnerability, noted that their finding “demonstrates how the Android ecosystem architecture is flawed”. And second, the app doesn’t support MMS, so you can’t send attachments or images with it. Lastly, your primary device needs to be turned on at all times so it can receive and then forward your messages. Suppose, the device is safe, how can one protect the device against this attack.
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Though the recently released Motorola Nexus 6 from Google did not make a huge impact, the original Nexus 5 built by LG was much-appreciated during its release.
The problem here is that ASLR technology is not foolproof and it is susceptible to the various nefarious attempts of the attackers to circumvent this protection level.
Android Central reported that the Android exploit was first introduced on July 21 by Zimperium, a company for mobile security, as part of an announcement for the annual party at the BlackHat conference.
The flaw resides in the Android media playback system called Stagefright, which allows users to infiltrate a device and exfiltrate data.
LG has joined Samsung and Google in providing monthly security updates for their Android phones. It has been observed that nearly 40 percent of overall Android users use KitKat, Jelly Bean or earlier versions. The app only points out if you’ve vulnerable and doesn’t mention any steps that can be taken to safeguard your device against Stagefright until a fix is released. A malicious app, with no apparent special privileges, is able to overwrite an existing app (Facebook in the demonstration) with a fake version (Fakebook) that could steal users’ data. Historically speaking, manufacturers haven’t done a great job of pushing out security updates, especially for older phones. It is also rumored to be equipped with a USB Type C connector and Bluetooth 4.2. Still, let’s take a look at the Nexus 6 and talk about a few things that we do know about its upcoming Android M update.
Other firms that have announced patches for Stagefright include HTC, Sony, and SGP, maker of the super-secure Blackphone.
Have you had any bad experiences with the Stagefright bug?
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Stay Tuned, for more news and updates.
