Attention Android users: You might want to pay a little closer attention to the apps you’re downloading. On July 5, the Washington Post reported that tech security company Bluebox Security has discovered a serious loophole in Android’s security model that essentially gives hackers a ‘master key’ to all your information.
The loophole, which affects any Android device that has been activated in the last four years, allows hackers a backdoor into your phone, through slightly modified versions of applications. Jeff Forristal of Bluebox Security details just what information the hackers are able to access:
“The application then not only has the ability to read arbitrary application data on the device (email, SMS messages, documents, etc.), retrieve all stored account & service passwords, it can essentially take over the normal functioning of the phone and control any function thereof...”
The Washington Post notes that Android devices make up about 75 percent of the global mobile market, so this news could potentially affect an incredibly large amount of people. But before you run out and switch to an iPhone, Forbes and BBC note that so far there’s no proof anyone has used the loophole.
Furthermore, the tech security company told Google about the issue way back in February and they have allegedly notified their partners, according to VentureBeat .
To stay on the safe side, the Washington Times suggests that users only download apps from Google Play and that they only use apps from well-known publishers.
via Examiner National Edition Gadgets & Tech Channel Articles http://www.examiner.com/article/android-devices-face-potential-hacker-threat-from-applications?cid=roadrunner