Google says around 90 percent of Android smartphones running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and above are protected from QuadRooter vulnerability, thanks to Verify Apps and SafetyNet security features.
Earlier this week, we learned about QuadRooter vulnerability that has put nearly 1 billion Qualcomm powered Android smartphones at risk. The vulnerability gives hackers complete control to infect Android devices with ‘privilege escalation’ and gain root access. Now, Google has pointed out that around 90 percent of active Android devices should already be protected, even if the vulnerabilities aren’t patched via a software update.
Google introduced a new ‘Verify Apps’ feature in Play Store with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, which blocks malicious apps from installing on your smartphones. Android OS also comes with a SafetyNet feature that protects users from apps installed from third-party sources and blocking malicious apps. Both these safety features are present on Android devices running 4.2 Jelly Bean and above. Google says these two features should be enough to tackle three vulnerabilities out of the four that have been identified in QuadRooter (hence the name).
“Android devices with our most recent security patch level are already protected against three of these four vulnerabilities. The fourth vulnerability, CVE-2016-5340, will be addressed in an upcoming Android security bulletin, though Android partners can take action sooner by referencing the public patch Qualcomm has provided,” a Google spokesperson told Android Central.
While most vulnerabilities required software patches from Google and OEMs, Google says “Verify Apps and SafetyNet protections help identify, block, and remove applications that exploit vulnerabilities like these.”
If a user tries to side-load an app APK with an exploit as serious as QuadRooter, Verify Apps will block the app from installing and display a pop-up message “Installation has been blocked.” Also, users will not have an option to ignore the warning and install the app anyway, thus protecting their device from serious vulnerabilities.
To be on a safer side, it is always recommended to download and install apps only from the Play Store. Also, when software updates are available, it is always better to install them as soon as they are available.
Source: bgr.in
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