Google Pixel owners working in the US government must immediately install the latest update or stop using these phones. The US government has issued an urgent warning necessitating all employees to update their Pixel phones with the latest security firmware by July 4. This is because a critical firmware vulnerability has been discovered in the Android ecosystem and could leave the phones prone to “limited, targeted exploitation.”
“Android Pixel contains an unspecified vulnerability in the firmware that allows for privilege escalation,” said the warning without divulging any details about the vulnerability. However, the US government has listed the vulnerability in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalogue.
Although the warning is meant for US government employees, it is intended for everyone to prevent any hacking activities, especially those who connect their phones to enterprise servers. The zero-day exploit already has a patch, which you can download from the Pixel phone settings. But before you initiate the process, ensure you have a good internet connection and have backed up your data. It is always advisable to download the latest security updates. Still, if an employee does not install the update by July 4, they must “discontinue use of the product,” according to Forbes.
Google has not acknowledged the vulnerability or stated its details publicly, but a warning from the government implies it is serious. This also means non-government employees must heed this warning with equal attention and immediately head to the Pixel settings to download the latest security update.
Moreover, the warning may not be limited to just Pixel devices. The US government’s mandate discusses vulnerability within the entire ecosystem, which means the exploit could target other Android phones. Developers of GrapheneOS, an Android-based operating system, have confirmed that the exploit may target devices beyond Pixels. They said a fix to the vulnerability will be available in Android 15, which will be rolled out in August. The fix, however, has not been backported yet. That means if you do not upgrade to the next Android version, you are unlikely to get the patch for the vulnerability.
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