Beware: Things To Know About Android’s Hardware Vulnerability

You are at risk if you use an Android phone powered by Qualcomm processor.

Android is vulnerable to all sorts of attacks. It is easily hackable which can compromise the data on your device. But scarily enough, a new finding tells us that the problem may have gone beyond the software.

900 million Android phone are under threat. 

Check Point research

We’re talking about a host of phones including the Samsung Galaxy S6, the OnePlus 3 and any phone that’s powered by any of Qualcomm’s processors. The vulnerability is being called as Quadrooter and here’s why it has got everyone scared.

What is it?

Quadrooter is a name for a set of security vulnerabilities that can seriously cause damage to your phone. 

According to experts, quadrooter shows up in the form of a series of codes that act as weaknesses in Linux/Android system software provided by chipset manufacturer Qualcomm.

Any user downloading apps on the phone is under threat because of the quadrooter. One needs to be very careful before installing new apps on their phone, as it will be hard to say if the app available on the Play Store is genuine or the malicious version of it. Apps may be capable of taking full control of the device.

How Did This Happen?

The issue is solely confined to Qualcomm-powered devices. The reason is that the patches for the phones are provided by the chipset maker.

But with the reality of Android fragmentation in the market, most mobile brands end up sourcing their set of Android source codes from the hardware guys, instead of Google. This ends up putting mobile makers in a position where they heavily rely on companies like Qualcomm to come to their rescue.

How Bad is it?

Most mobile brands associated with Qualcomm have seemingly confirmed these vulnerabilities, and have responded by offering to fix them.

There are 4 set of issues plaguing devices via the quadrooter, and Google has only been able to fix three of them. The final patch is not expected before September, and Google is largely to be blamed here.

What Should i Do?

• Users should wait for Samsung/OnePlus to roll out over-the-air update
• Don’t download any new apps
• Don’t let apps get updated in the background
• Uninstall apps that you barely use
• Power down the phone until a sure fix is ready