Govt warns of high-risk bugs in Android that may have been exploited by hackers

Indian government's cyber security wing, CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team), has issued an advisory warning all Android users in India about high-risk vulnerabilities that can be used by hackers to steal user data and even run malicious code on the targeted system.

In its advisory, CERT-In has warned of 40 high-risk vulnerabilities that can be exploited by an attacker to obtain sensitive information from the targeted user's device and render the device useless for the user after getting the information. In addition to these, these vulnerabilities can also give users advanced access on the targeted device, which can then be used for controlling the device from afar.

"Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Android, which could be exploited by an attacker to obtain sensitive information, gain elevated privileges, execute arbitrary code or cause Denial of Service (DoS) attack on the targeted system," CERT-In wrote in its advisory.

For the unversed, a Denial of Service (DoS) attack is when a hacker makes a device, a service or a network unavailable to the user by sending illegitimate requests. It is often used as a diversion for the user as the hacker steals user data or runs a malicious piece of code on the targeted device.

What's more? Google, in its own advisory, has admitted that two of the 40 vulnerabilities could have been exploited by hackers for targeting specific users.

"There are indications that the following may be under limited, targeted exploitation. CVE-2024-43047 and CVE-2024-43093," Google wrote in its Android update bulletin.

Who is affected by these Android bugs?

CERT-In has said smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and other embedded systems running Android versions 12, 12L, 13, 14 and 15 are affected by these bugs.

How can Android users protect themselves from these vulnerabilities?

Users can download the latest version of Android update on their smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches to safeguard their data and their devices from malicious hackers.

Users can follow these steps to update their Android devices: Settings app > System > Software Update > Follow on-screen instructions.