QuadRooter: the security hole that threatens 900 million devices with Android and Qualcomm chips – La Nacion (Argentina)

Opens the possibility that someone believes an application capable of becoming administrator (root) on your phone or tablet and access all the contents, including the camera and microphone

Photo: THE NATION

About 900 million smartphones and Android tablets are vulnerable to cyber attacks, according to Israeli security company Check Point. Experts from the company discovered four security holes in Android, the Google operating system that could provide hackers full control of the device.

Those affected are the smartphones and tablets that work with a Qualcomm processors game. According to Check Point, errors in the software controller chipset Qualcomm LTE allow you to program a simple application that alone would not ask for special rights on the apparatus. With it, attackers can obtain the so-called root access (ie, become computer administrators, which is normally forbidden to the common user) that can write and read the entire system.

So far have not been used security holes baptized as “QuadRooter” said Chech Point. Among the affected devices are the latest models of Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge (in the international version, which is sold in our country uses an Exynos chip) devices Google Nexus 5X, 6 and 6P, Blackberry Priv, models of HTC One, M9 and HTC 10, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, the Moto X Motorola and devices LG G4, G5 and V10, among many others.

“? the company has been informed? by its researchers on? some? vulnerabilities? in this matter? between February and April this year and has? already? prepared patches that were available to customers, partners and the open source community between April and July. These patches were also published in CodeAurora “Qualcomm said in a statement.

This case reminds the Android security hole so far largest, baptized Stagefright. In that case Google solved the problem with an update that partitioned between manufacturers, but manufacturers who decide when and how to provide users with the update, so many of them had to wait months. In theory, in September next Google will ready the patch to override this vulnerability

In this note.