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Warning: Android 12 smartphone at risk of hacking!

Tomer Yair Zemel

A security flaw discovered in the Linux 5.8 kernel puts some smartphones running Android 12 at risk. If you use Android 12 operating system, you should be aware as this new bug has been identified very recently and could be responsible for hacking attacks on Android 12 based devices.

What is the nature of this bug?

This 'dirty pipe' was identified by security researcher Max Kellermann of the German web development company CM4all. It has been disclosed publicly and according to information released, this security flaw allows a malicious program to see all files on a smartphone without the user's consent and might affect smartphones, tablets, Google Home speakers, Chromecasts, or Chromebooks.

If you are using Android 12 on a system-based smartphone, you need to be alert. 'Dirty Pipe' is a bug that provides hackers with backdoor access. By exploiting these vulnerabilities, hackers can create fake accounts for users and even read encrypted WhatsApp messages. Such attacks may result in message manipulation and banking fraud. To the best of our knowledge, this vulnerability has not yet been exploited in a malicious manner.

How to Identify?

To find out if this is the case with your phone, you can do as follows:

1. Open the Settings app
2. Go to About Phone
3. Tap Android Version
4. Look for Kernel Version
5. Update versions

How To Protect?

For now, there is no indication that hackers have actively exploited the flaw and Google will release a patch to protect users. Here are the steps you can take to protect yourself immediately:

• Update the latest patch as it becomes available.
• Do not install any third party untrusted Apps.
• Download and activte BodyGuard Mobile Security to keep you safe from hackers, security breaches and data theft at all time.

We wish you safe and aware,

Team SafeHouse.