All Android users are now vulnerable to the latest flaw in their smartphone's operating system that was found just last July.
Zimperium, a cybersecurity company that specializes in mobile phones, announced on their site that they have discovered a major defect on Android's system.
The defect in the Android was discovered in the heart of the said operating system. The name of the program is Stage Fright, a media library that processes several popular media formats. This program automatically processes media files, including pictures, videos, or audio, that your phone receives even before you open the message.
Attackers can exploit your mobile phone without even knowing your personal information such as name, birthday, or location. Your mobile number is more than enough for the hacker to take full control of your Android powered smartphones.
"A fully weaponized successful attack could even delete the message before you see it. You will only see the notification. These vulnerabilities are extremely dangerous because they do not require that the victim take any action to be exploited. Unlike spear-phishing, where the victim needs to open a PDF file or a link sent by the attacker, this vulnerability can be triggered while you sleep. Before you wake up, the attacker will remove any signs of the device being compromised and you will continue your day as usual - with a hacked phone"
-Z Team
Zimperium provided a solution to the Android's waterloo. The cybersecurity company already sent the solution to Google, the developer of Android. Google reacted to the threat immediately and sent an updated patch to all Nexus mobile users.
Smartphones made by other mobile developers and manufacturers besides Google such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Motorola, and others are still susceptible to the threat. Samsung holds more than 50% of all the Android users in the world according to AppBrain, but still no statements have been released by Samsung regarding the matter.
Google said that they have contacted and passed on the solution for the bug that was found in their operating systems to other mobile manufacturers.
Information about the bug can be found in the Zimperium group website.
