Vulnerability in Android Smartphone’s: You should not open these images

Even opening a certain image format can have nasty consequences: Google points to a critical vulnerability in Android Smartphone’s out, which the company wants to create with a new patch from the world. Owners of a pixel mobile phone should necessarily install the already delivered package. Customers of other manufacturers still have to be patient.

Android Smartphone’s: PNG image can execute malicious code

Like every month, Google has also distributed a security update to its own Smartphone’s for February. The focus is on defusing a critical issue where users can lose control of their Android Smartphone by only opening a prepared image in PNG format. According to Google, the gap has not been exploited so far. Users should definitely install Google's new security package, 2019-02-05, unless it's already done automatically.

The Group further explains that a PNG image with malicious code could also open via an app - without user intervention. According to the warning message from Google, the malicious code should be able to lead owners of an Android Smartphone to lose control of their mobile phone. In the worst case, the executed code could download more files or delete owner's data or transfer them to foreign servers. How exactly could run, Google does not announce.

Google delivers the current security patch only on Android smart phones, which are also produced by Google itself - but that does not mean that cell phones from other manufacturers are not affected by the critical gap. They are now obliged to distribute the patch as soon as possible to their own users. According to Google, manufacturers are notified of critical vulnerabilities in Android, before the respective patch is delivered to Pixel phones,   

Monthly security updates have since been adopted by many major manufacturers. In the next few days, a corresponding update should have arrived so many users. The situation is different with some smaller Smartphone producers who either refrain from such updates or distribute them only late. Users of an older cell phone or tablet, which is no longer supported by the manufacturer, look as usual in the tube.