Skip to main content

Android security bug let malicious apps siphon off private user data

A security vulnerability in Android could have allowed malicious apps to siphon off sensitive data from other apps on the same device.

App security startup Oversecured found the flaw in Google’s widely-used Play Core library, which lets developers push in-app updates and new feature modules to their Android apps, like language packs or game levels.

A malicious app on the same Android device could exploit the vulnerability by injecting malicious modules into other apps that rely on the library to steal private information, like passwords and credit card numbers, from inside the app.

Sergey Toshin, founder of Oversecured, told TechCrunch that exploiting the bug was “pretty easy.”

The startup built a proof-of-concept app using a few lines of code and tested the vulnerability on Google Chrome for Android, which relied on a vulnerable version of the Play Core library. Toshin said the proof-of-concept app was able to steal a victim’s browsing history, passwords, and login cookies.

But Toshin said that the bug also affected some of the most popular apps in the Android app store.

Google confirmed the bug, rated 8.8 out of 10.0 for severity, is now fixed. “We appreciate the researcher reporting this issue to us, and as a result it was patched in March,” said a Google spokesperson.

Toshin said app developers should update their apps with the latest Play Core library to remove the threat.



from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2D7weHj
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Silent Revolution of On-Device AI: Why the Cloud Is No Longer King

Introduction For years, artificial intelligence has meant one thing: the cloud. Whether you’re asking ChatGPT a question, editing a photo with AI tools, or getting recommendations on Netflix — those decisions happen on distant servers, not your device. But that’s changing. Thanks to major advances in silicon, model compression, and memory architecture, AI is quietly migrating from giant data centres to the palm of your hand. Your phone, your laptop, your smartwatch — all are becoming AI engines in their own right. It’s a shift that redefines not just how AI works, but who controls it, how private it is, and what it can do for you. This article explores the rise of on-device AI — how it works, why it matters, and why the cloud’s days as the centre of the AI universe might be numbered. What Is On-Device AI? On-device AI refers to machine learning models that run locally on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or edge device — without needing constant access to the cloud. In practi...

Apple’s AI Push: Everything We Know About Apple Intelligence So Far

Apple’s WWDC 2025 confirmed what many suspected: Apple is finally making a serious leap into artificial intelligence. Dubbed “Apple Intelligence,” the suite of AI-powered tools, enhancements, and integrations marks the company’s biggest software evolution in a decade. But unlike competitors racing to plug AI into everything, Apple is taking a slower, more deliberate approach — one rooted in privacy, on-device processing, and ecosystem synergy. If you’re wondering what Apple Intelligence actually is, how it works, and what it means for your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you’re in the right place. This article breaks it all down.   What Is Apple Intelligence? Let’s get the terminology clear first. Apple Intelligence isn’t a product — it’s a platform. It’s not just a chatbot. It’s a system-wide integration of generative AI, machine learning, and personal context awareness, embedded across Apple’s OS platforms. Think of it as a foundational AI layer stitched into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and m...

Max Q: Anomalous

Hello and welcome back to Max Q! Last week wasn’t the most successful for spaceflight missions. We’ll get into that a bit more below. In this issue: First up, a botched launch from Virgin Orbit… …followed by one from ABL Space Systems News from Rocket Lab, World View and more Virgin Orbit’s botched launch highlights shaky financial future After Virgin Orbit’s launch failure last Monday, during which the mission experienced an  “anomaly” that prevented the rocket from reaching orbit, I went back over the company’s financials — and things aren’t looking good. For Virgin Orbit, this year has likely been completely turned on its head. The company was aiming for three launches this year, but everything will remain grounded until the cause of the anomaly has been identified and resolved. It’s unclear how long that will take, but likely at least three months. Add this delay to Virgin’s dwindling cash reserves and you have a foundation that’s suddenly much shakier than before. ...