The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a warning for smartphone users. Cert-In said that older Android devices, especially those with Android version 13 and older, are at serious security risk. On its official website, CERT-In has highlighted several vulnerabilities in the Android operating system that can pose significant risks to users.
These flaws can be a serious threat to security
CERT-In has labeled the vulnerabilities found in the Android OS as 'critical'. This shows that if these are taken advantage of, they can have serious consequences. According to the government warning, if attackers are successful in taking advantage of these vulnerabilities, they can pose threats like executing their code on the device, accessing user data, accessing sensitive user information, and injecting malicious files.
Attackers can even take over users' devices and then users will lose control of their devices. Simply put, these security flaws can allow hackers to take control of your Android device, steal your data, or render it useless.
These devices may be affected
According to CERT-In, the vulnerabilities exposed mainly affect Android devices running older versions of the operating system, specifically Android versions 11, 12, 12L, and 13.
The matter of concern is that these vulnerabilities are not limited to any one component. Instead, they are found in different parts of the Android system. This includes important components like framework, system, and Google Play system updates. Also included are components from various hardware manufacturers, such as Arm, MediaTek, Unisoc, Qualcomm, and even Qualcomm's closed-source components.
However, Google has already released an update for the Android OS that resolves the issues. Therefore, users are advised to update their devices immediately and take necessary security measures to protect their devices and phones.
How to protect your smartphone
The most immediate and effective step to protect your device is to apply security patches by updating the OS. These patches are designed to fix identified vulnerabilities and enhance the security of your device.
It is important to update your Android operating system regularly. With this, you can protect yourself from cyber-attacks.
Be careful when downloading and installing apps, especially from unofficial sources. Avoid third-party apps and download any app from the Google Play Store only. Apart from this, check the information asked by the app carefully.
Periodically check the permissions granted to apps on your device. Turn off permissions that are not necessary for the app.
Keep backing up your data regularly. You can back up to external storage or cloud storage. With this, you will be able to keep your data safe in case of cyber attack.
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