The latest Android security fright circles Qualcomm, which is one of the largest chipset providers of Android smartphones and tablets. The flaw is dubbed as "QuadRooter"; it is named so because of its 4-pronged admission into Android and Qualcomm-powered devices. A hacker misusing this flaw could employ one of the entry points to access and take over a device completely. A report by Check Point has exposed the entire issue through a blog post.
For all those wondering about the risk level of their devices, you can go to the Play Store and install "QuadRooter Scanner" app. It will scan your device and inform you if it is affected by the flaw or not. Sadly, almost a billion Android devices are affected by QuadRooter, and it is yet to be patched. Even though Qualcomm had issued fixes for all the four flaws to the manufacturers, but Google is yet to roll out a security patch for one last flaw.
Google is expected to roll out the patch for the final flaw with the September security update. With more than three weeks left for September update, hackers still have one window (flaw) to root into devices and gain full control over them. QuadRooter flaw has exposed sensitive user information to the hackers.
In a blog post, Check Point mentioned some of the latest and most popular Android devices with Qualcomm chipsets:
- BlackBerry Priv
- Blackphone 1 and Blackphone 2
- Google Nexus 5X, Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P
- HTC One, HTC M9 and HTC 10
- LG G4, LG G5, and LG V10
- New Moto X by Motorola
- OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus 3
- Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung S7 Edge
- Sony Xperia Z Ultra
We would like to suggest our readers to stay careful, especially when installing a new app. It would be better if you stay away from third-party apps. Through apps, hackers can find a way to get into your device's control.
