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Researcher To Release Web-Based Android Attack
CWmike writes "A computer security researcher says he plans to release code Thursday that could be used to attack some versions of Google's Android phones over the Internet. The attack targets the browser in older, Android 2.1-and-earlier versions of the phones. It is being disclosed Thursday at the HouSecCon conference by M.J. Keith, a security researcher with Alert Logic. Keith says he has written code that allows him to run a simple command line shell in Android (video) when the victim visits a website that contains his attack code. The bug used in Keith's attack lies in the WebKit browser engine used by Android. Google said it knows about the vulnerability. 'We're aware of an issue in WebKit that could potentially impact only old versions of the Android browser,' Google spokesman Jay Nancarrow confirmed in an e-mail. 'The issue does not affect Android 2.2 or later versions.' Version 2.2 runs on 36.2 percent of Android phones, Google says"
So many phone makers seem to think the worst thing in the world is to provide users an official update. Maybe this will get them in gear.
As an aside, does anyone know what phone makers are good about keeping updates coming?
What about the rest on versions lower than 2.2?
Isn't this roughly similar to the effects obtained by the earlier exploits on iOS? However, there many users first feeling was some relief from the monolithic Apple gate system, but here on Android the spin feels more like traditional tech news.
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
"A computer security researcher says he plans to release code Thursday that could be used to attack some versions of Google's Android phones over the Internet. The attack targets the browser in older, Android 2.1-and-earlier versions of the phones.
How can he be permitted to release something, which when used as intended, does harm to others? This is insane...and he does it "in the light of day!"
Other tools that folks have used to harm others have dual use...but for this code, I do not see any use save for harm. What am I missing?
Isn't this roughly similar to the effects obtained by the earlier exploits on iOS?
Technically it is. But unless you bought your Android phone from AT&T, you have the option to put in your own command prompt through "Unknown sources". So any jailbreaks for Android are considered less necessary, and the risk outweighs the benefit.
Thomas A. Anderson is specialized in killing Agents, John Connor in killing Terminators, and now M.J. Keith kill Androids... that comes just in time when Hollywood was running out of ideas for a new movie.
I read the headline and immediately thought a mad scientist was about to unleash an army of things resembling a cross between Spiderman and the Terminator, and we should all cower in terror in our makeshift basement bunkers awaiting our inevitable destruction.
But TFA revealed it's just a smartphone hack.
All we need is a brand of toilet paper called "Flying Car" and my disappointment with the 21st century will be complete.
Blank until
Headline = 1,000,000 points. Copy = I don't know - about a dozen points. Maybe.
.. as usual .. SE will NOT release timely android updates - and we will suffer because of this .. uggh ..
I wonder if there is any law which covers this sort of situation. The original G1 was only released like 3 years ago - not really very old, but T-Mobile has completely abandoned owners/users of the G1 and is not providing any additional updates.
Honestly, I blame Google. From day 1, it should have been mandatory that OS updates would come from Google, forever. Carriers don't give a crap about keeping users in updated code once the phone is sold. To them, it's just a device which comes in a box, gets sold, and if it becomes 'obsolete' within 2 years, well that's just another box they can sell you in 2 years.
It's absolutely inexcusable that a programmable, Internet enabled device of the complexity of a G1 should not have guaranteed security updates for the included software, for a minimum of 10 years.
I don't understand why is it so difficult for people to see the advantages of being "The One" phone officially from Google - Unfortunately this is the reason Google stop selling phones in it's own online store.
And the fixes are available from whom? Where? When? is Google washing their hands on their crummy product development? Does Google think that because time has passed since they blew it, that their mistakes are trivialized?
Google is more than evil. BTW, don't use Google DNS or every page you visit will become copied by Google, regardless if there is a link to it from any website or not. Google is EVIL. And they will NOT stop downloading even when requested to do so.
EXCUSE ME??? My Samsung Epic 4G bought from Sprint about a month ago has what Google calls an old operating system that they know has a vulnerability??? I suppose it goes without saying that both Samsung and Sprint knows this, too. Wow. At the moment, I'm feeling beat out of my 350 bucks.
I've been with AT&T for a long time, bought the Galaxy S (Captivate) relatively not too long ago. Was perfect when I bought it, did everything I wanted it to do, especially tethering, one of the big reasons I bought it.
A couple weeks down the line, 2.1-update1 rolls out, disables my tethering abilities. I called AT&T, Samsung, talked with an in-store rep, and called AT&T again. Samsung says it's not their problem, AT&T pushed the update. The In-store rep and the person I talked to on the AT&T phonecall both agreed that I needed to use third-party software to continue tethering. They were pretty much ENCOURAGING ME TO ROOT MY PHONE. The solution I found was to use a third-party tethering app which I had to remove the AT&T sim card in order for it to show in the marketplace, install, then reinsert the sim card.
Still waiting for that 2.2 update that I was promised when I bought the phone.
Starting to look more and more like I should just return the phone, drop AT&T, and move to another Galaxy S carrier.
Yes, there will be a lot of trouble once people lose all their contacts & emails, buy a random Market app for 1000 and similar.
But this will _force_ makers, vendors, network operators and everyone else to introduce sane update policies. These machines are a small PC. They need the same software update capabilities.
It's phone makers AND carriers. The only real reason carriers are loving Android is it's the Anti-iPhone. Think about it - the iPhone denies carriers to ability to customize the experience, load up custom helpful apps, and all that stuff. Apple's basically dictated the terms - Apple does the software, you guys sell service (and pay Apple a portion of the profits). The only reason carriers are doing this is because people want the iPhone and they'll line up in droves to get one. What they lose in the iPhone deals, they make up because there are just so freaking many iPhone users (see how the iPhone has been kind ot AT&T's revenue).
I just saw in the news that Verizon's Android customers are getting an update that will be pushed on them over the Verizon network starting next week. It will add V-Cast and the V Cast store so you can add Verizon approved apps to your Android. This is the same crap I had years ago from Verizon on my LG phone.
So Verizon may not have fixed the browser problem but the Android user has a pretty red Verizon V-Cast interface to work with.
Releasing this Webkit hack is a good thing mostly. Sure malicious folks 'Might' use it for their purposes. My question is why hasn't Google provided a patch fix for versions prior to 2.2 and/or are they working on one avaliable for download?
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