Does today’s Pixel update exterminate the bug you’ve been praying that Google would fix?

The 25-08-01 security patch closes two severe and one high Android vulnerabilities

Three new Android vulnerabilities are patched by the Android Security Update. | Image credit-Google

The most severe vulnerability among this group could lead to “the local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation.” This means that the attacker needs to have access to the device through a malicious app you’ve installed, or even a file you downloaded on your device. If successful in getting you to download the app or files, the attacker can raise his level of control over your device to a higher level than initially granted.

For example, an app might have the ability to see your photos but, by raising its privilege level the attacker could end up being able to steal your data or even install other malware. The attacker can start at an unprivileged level, and raise it by exploiting the flaw. The vulnerability cannot be exploited without the phone user taking some action to get the ball rolling. Such action could include:

• Clicking on a malicious link.
• Opening a PDF, an image file, or another crafted file.
• Installing a malicious app.

SYSTEM

All Pixel models, including the Pixel 6 and later, will see “General improvements for system stability and performance in certain conditions.”

USER INTERFACE

All Pixel models, including the Pixel 6 and later, get a fix for an issue where the scheduled dark theme wasn’t working under certain conditions.

All Pixel models, including the Pixel 6 and later, get a fix for issues involving the 3-button and gesture navigation options in certain conditions. 

This could be the date when you can leave the QPR beta without any punishment

If you’re wondering when the next Pixel Feature Drop is coming, one rumored date is Wednesday, September 3rd. That could be when Google drops the next Quarterly Platform Release (QPR). So if you are currently running the Android 16 QPR1 Beta and want to return to the stable version of Android without having to wipe your data, you’ll be able to do that when Google releases Android 16 QPR1.

You must wait until the Android 16 QPR1 update has been released, or else you’ll be in for a nasty surprise! (Your apps and personal data will be wiped from your phone).