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Drive-by Android Malware Exploits Unpatchable Vulnerability
An anonymous reader writes "Attackers have crafted the E-Z-2-Use malware code that exploits a 14-month-old vulnerability in Android devices. The vulnerability exists in the WebView interface a malicious website can utilize it to gain a remote shell into the system with the permissions of the hijacked application. Vulnerable devices are any device that is running a version earlier than 4.2 (in which the vulnerability was patched) which is a staggeringly large amount of the market. The vulnerability is in Android itself rather than the proprietary GMS application platform that sits atop the base operating system so it is not easily patched by Google."
it was fixed in v 4.2 so it is patchable
QED
Some carriers still sell android 2.x devices. If you don't buy a mainstream/high end device your phone will likely never see a patch, ever.
Not saying my iphone is invulnerable, but my almost 4 year old iphone4 still gets patches. So does my 5s, and I expect it will 3-4 years from now.
And no, normal users can't and don't install Cyanogen. Sorry.
Vulnerable devices are any device that is running a version earlier than 4.2 (in which the vulnerability was patched) which is a staggeringly large amount of the market.
The vulnerability is in Android itself rather than the proprietary GMS application platform that sits atop the base operating system so it is not easily patched by Google.
But apparently not so difficult as to make it impossible? Is there something I don't understand here, or was this summary just horribly written?
it was fixed in v 4.2 so it is patchable
QED
Not exactly QED: Most Android phones are unpatchable due to the carrier not giving a damn (for various reasons), the phone hardware being too old (or too low-end), and/or the manufactuer not giving a damn (they'd prefer you buy a new phone from them instead). There are of course jailbreaks, if your carrier doesn't cut you off for using it, and if there's one that works on your phone, and if you have the technical 'oomph to install it without bricking the thing.
To put it bluntly? Unless you paid at least $300 for your Android smartphone and it's less than 3 years old (if you're lucky), you're pretty much screwed.
(Before anyone gets butthurt about it, no, I don't own an iPhone. I have a cheap Android device, but as I bought it recently, it has 4.2 on it.)
Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
Android feels like it is steadily becoming the new Windows.
-- It's showing up everywhere.
-- The version issues hark back to the days of "DLL hell"
-- This drum beat of exploits has a familiar rhythm too.
-- As a multi-platform developer I find I'm always having to reboot my device, and the IDE just to get a clean test run.
Call me a fan boy but iOS is a much better world to work and play in
Given that the manufacturer and carriers are distributing software devices without proper updates for at least the expected life of the device (2 years at least for the terms of a contract), perhaps a massive lawsuit is in order?
Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
My HTC One X has been abandoned last year at 4.1.2, with still more 2yrs left on the contract :-O :-( While that sucks, I did move to Cyanogenmod, through a few different flavours. I'm running CM11 Milestone 2, but I think I can safely predict what will and will not work for anyone who goes this route (because these issues have persisted through several releases in Cyanogenmod):
:-)
1) you will have Bluetooth for audio, but not for keyboards, game-controllers (no HID stuff)
2) you will not have IPv6. Not a big deal for most people, but this is News for Nerds
3) returning to a previous WiFi location may require toggling Airplane Mode to get it to reconnect
But for a non-technical person like my wife, using CM11 / KitKat 4.4.2 truly *IS* a viable answer (hahaha - using. Getting to CM11 is most definitely not for her... that's my thing). For the future, Nexus devices or Play devices are likeliest.
With 4.4 a lot of low-end phones could technically be supported when they couldn't run 4.3. The largest hurdles are carriers and manufacturers dropping support after an obscenely short time.
the attacker can gain the same access that the Android built in web browser has That doesn't sound that bad on the face of it
FTFA:
The code exploits a critical bug in Android's WebView programming interface that was disclosed 14 months ago. The security hole typically gives attackers remote access to a phone's camera and file system and in some cases also exposes other resources, such as geographic location data, SD card contents, and address books.
The easiest way to exploit the bug is to lure a vulnerable user to a booby-trapped webpage. Within seconds, the site operator will obtain a remote shell window that has access to the phone's file system and camera. In some cases, the exploit can also be triggered by performing a man-in-the-middle attack while the victim is on an unsecured Wi-Fi network.
I would say this is a big deal.
Chrome. Or firefox. Or Opera ...
So long as you skip the Android browser (and Webview) the exploit can be avoided.
If you're gonna get an Android phone and care at all about updates, before you spend ANY money make sure you can find instructions on how to unlock/root your phone as well as check the level of development of ROMs available for the phone. If the phone of interest is sufficiently popular that there's good instructions on how to unlock and root it and there's a reasonably healthy community involved in developing ROMs for it (and hence updates), then it's probably a good phone to get. Short of buying a Nexus, this is really the only way to guarantee that you'll be able to keep updating your phone as time goes on.
I bought my Samsung Galaxy S2 in February of 2012. My carrier (Telstra) has long forgotten about supporting my particular phone (I think the last official Telstra supported update was 4.1.2). However, I'm running 4.4.2 and can only run that due to the wonderful community that's still developing ROMs for this thing, long after corporate interest has dried up. I have absolutely no intention of replacing it until it breaks, since it's still quite fast and capable.
Account abandoned. I can't fucking spell for shit and Slashdot doesn't even allow time-limited edits of posts. Plus you'
There is an unofficial Cyanogenmod version for my phone - the instructions for installing it is incomplete, and refers to multiple articles that basically lead in circles.