Because of hackers, security has become one of the main concerns of most individuals who dabble in the world of technology on a daily basis. There have been countless scares and threats made with regards to the public release of personal information. Unfortunately, one particular vulnerability, called the "Quadrooter," is present in almost one billion Android devices.
According to IOL, Quadrooter was found by Check Point, an international cyber security agency. What is alarming about it, however, is the range of devices it can affect. Reportedly, any device powered by a Qualcomm processor, which is in an estimated 900 million phones and tablets, can fall prey to the security vulnerability.
Quadrooter works by enticing Android users to download a harmless-looking app. This app does not require special permission, which would allow the hacker access to different aspects of the phone and any information found therein. This includes even the camera and microphone of the device.
Unfortunately, Michael Shaulov, the head of mobility product management at Check Point, shared that there is an issue about who will fix the problem. "No-one at this point has a device that's fully secure. That basically relates to the fact that there is some kind of issue of who fixes what between Qualcomm and Google," he said.
However, The Times Of India confirms that Google has addressed the majority of issues from Quadrooter. According to the search giant, the issues have been fixed with the August update of the Android operating system. As such, Check Point is urging all Android users to make the necessary update.
Unfortunately, the update will not reach all 900 million devices. The other option for users is to run the "Verify App" feature of Google, which should scan an app before its installation.
A number of smartphones that are said to be vulnerable to Quadrooter are the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge , OnePlus One, OnePlus 2, OnePlus 3, Google Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, LG G4, LG G5 and the LG V10.
