If you haven't update your Smartphone yet, you better do it right now. Over the last few weeks Android and iOS both had their guts wide open, after probing and prodding both the operating system with suspected exploits security firms informed, warned and released the exploits for everyone to know and beware of the malware being used by hackers to take control of your smartphone almost immediately.
Don't worry, the security firms first informed Google & Apple about their respective OSes vulnerabilities before releasing this info to public. The security patches to fix them have been released and its now your responsibility to make sure you are update your smartphone immediately.
'Quadrooter' affected over 900 million Android devices
Over 900million Android phones & tablets that ship with Qualcomm Chips are affected by this vulnerability.
An attacker can trick a user to install a malicious app which installs a malware which forces the device to get rooted to give administrative access to the hacker and thus give full access to the device. This means the hacker can have access to user data and even control camera & microphone to record audio and video, or track GPS from the affected device.
Such malicious apps weren't permitted in Play Store by Google so that is a relief but people who install apps from third-party websites (apk installs) could be affected by this and they might not even know about this.
This was discovered and reported by Check Point named, ' HummingBad'.
This was reported to Google in February 2016 and a public report was released in July 2016 for which Google now has released a security Patch in August 2016.
To check if your Android device is vulnerable to Quadrooter, Check Point also released an app for that, QuadRooter Scanner in Play Store.
It is thus necessary that you update your Android Smartphone right now. Check your Android device for the latest version and update it immediately.
Check version :
Settings > About Phone > Android Security Patch level
August 1, 2016
Update to the latest Patch :
Settings > About Phone > System updates
You will find this typically same for almost all Android smartphones but as per your OEM this might be in a different Menu option in Settings.
You can read more about Quadrooter at Zdnet
iPhone's First Remote Exploit
First reported earlier in August 2016 by a Emirati human right activist who received a suspicious text message with a link. Instead of clicking on the link he forwarded that to security firm Citizen Lab to investigate.
On further investigation it was revealed that the link, if clicked would instantly force a jailbreak to iPhone to give administrative access to the hacker by installing a malware in the background which can transmit data, files, encrypted messages even from popular chat Apps like WhatsApp or Viber, phone calls, emails, activate camera, microphone and even secretly track movements.
CitizenLab reported this to Apple earlier in August and released publicly on 24th August 2016, just in time to coincide with an immediate patch release by Apple on 25th August 2016 to fix this vulnerability.
Make sure your iOS devices are updated
Check version here:
Settings > General > About > Version
9.3.5
Note : This fix is applicable and needed to users who have the iOS 9 update.
Devices which got iOS 9
iPhone 4S/5/5S/6/6 Plus/SE/6S/6S Plus
iPad 2/3/4/Air/Air 2
iPad Mini 1st/2nd/3rd/4th generation
iPod Touch 5th/6th generation
If it is not on the latest version, update it here :
Settings > General >Software Update
PSA : CHECK AND UPDATE YOUR SMARTPHONES RIGHT NOW
Check Version
iOS
Settings > General > About > Version
9.3.5
Note : This fix is applicable and needed to users who have the iOS 9 update.
Devices which got iOS 9
iPhone 4S/5/5S/6/6 Plus/SE/6S/6S Plus
iPad 2/3/4/Air/Air 2
iPad Mini 1st/2nd/3rd/4th generation
iPod Touch 5th/6th generation
Android
Settings > About Phone > Android Security Patch level
August 1, 2016
Update your Smartphone
iOS
Settings > General >Software Update
Android
Settings > About Phone > System updates
You will find this typically same for almost all Android smartphones but as per your OEM this might be in a different Menu option in Settings.
