Android phones under attack by zero-day flaws — protect yourself now
Android phones under set on by zero-day flaws — protect yourself at present
The May 2021 Android security update fixes four null-day flaws in Qualcomm and ARM chips that are actively being exploited past unnamed hackers, Google quietly disclosed yesterday (May 19) in an update to May 3's Android Security Bulletin.
"In that location are indications that CVE-2021-1905, CVE-2021-1906, CVE-2021-28663 and CVE-2021-28664 may exist under limited, targeted exploitation," Google said in a one-sentence highlighted note.
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The "CVE" numbers are how computer-security pros refer to known vulnerabilities. According to Google Projection Zero researcher Maddie Stone, who tweeted out the message update, 2 of the flaws involve Qualcomm graphics processors, while the other two impact ARM Mali GPUs. At to the lowest degree two of the flaws permit total system takeover.
Android has updated the May security with notes that four vulns were exploited in-the-wild. Qualcomm GPU: CVE-2021-1905, CVE-2021-1906ARM Mali GPU: CVE-2021-28663, CVE-2021-28664https://t.co/mT8vE2Us74May xix, 2021
"Limited, targeted exploitation" seems to imply that these flaws are existence used in attacks by country-sponsored hackers (i.e., international cyberspies) against specific persons or organizations.
We've seen many limited, targeted attacks on both Android and iOS flaws by Chinese security services against Tibetan and Uyghur dissidents, for instance, just at that place'southward no indication who the participants might be here.
Update your Android phone, and make certain it'southward still getting updates
To protect yourself against such exploits, make sure to install the May Android security patches every bit soon as your device gets them. Google's own Pixel devices should be able to install them already, and it's likely that recent flagship phones from Samsung and OnePlus will have them now or soon.
Other phones may have to wait a long time, or forever, to get the May Android update. That's why you should exist fussy well-nigh the Android phone you use, especially if yous're someone cyberspies might target: a defense force contractor, information-security professional, political activist, journalist, diplomat, corporate executive, politico or agile-duty service member.
If your Android device isn't getting Google's Android security updates inside threescore days of their release, or is not longer getting the updates at all, and then it's time for a new phone.
Snapdragon fries afflicted, and root at risk
Qualcomm's own May 2021 security bulletin gives CVE-2021-1905 a "high" security threat rating and says the issue has to do with "employ later on free." That implies the flaw leaves a sure amount of running memory unprotected, making it possible for malware to go a claw into running processes. It affects roughly 300 Qualcomm chipsets, including many of the Snapdragon chips that power flagship phones.
CVE-2021-1906 is less astringent, with a "medium" threat rating. It's classified as a "detection of fault condition without action in graphics," due to "improper handling of address deregistration on failure [which] can atomic number 82 to new GPU address allocation failure."
We're not quite sure what that means, but we'd approximate information technology has to do with a process declining "open" and letting potential attackers get their hooks in. It affects about 350 Qualcomm chipsets, many of them the same as the other flaw.
ARM addressed the flaws back in March, describing CVE-2021-28663 as permitting "a not-privileged user" -- i.e., anyone or anything -- to exploit a "use-after-complimentary scenario" in graphics memory to "gain root privilege, and/or disembalm information."
ARM didn't give this one a severity rating, but gaining root -- seizing full control of the system -- is pretty high up there.
CVE-2021-28664 also lets an attacker gain root, as well equally "corrupt retentiveness and modify the retentiveness of other processes." This is done by getting "write admission to read-just memory," which is pretty interesting.
These flaws touch on ARM's Midgard, Bifrost and Valhall (no A) GPU kernel drivers, which makes the states wonder where Asgard might be.
At the time of ARM's security message in March, the Bifrost and Valhall drivers had been patched, and Midgard'south was on the way. Presumably, that patch is part of May'due south Android updates as well.
Paul Wagenseil is a senior editor at Tom's Guide focused on security and privacy. He has also been a dishwasher, fry melt, long-haul driver, lawmaking monkey and video editor. He's been rooting around in the information-security space for more than 15 years at FoxNews.com, SecurityNewsDaily, TechNewsDaily and Tom'south Guide, has presented talks at the ShmooCon, DerbyCon and BSides Las Vegas hacker conferences, shown upward in random Boob tube news spots and even moderated a panel give-and-take at the CEDIA domicile-engineering briefing. You tin follow his rants on Twitter at @snd_wagenseil.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/android-0day-flaws-may21
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