Two critical flaws finally fixed in Android, it’s time to update your phone (if you can)

We can’t say it enough: updates are an essential component of online security. Google’s latest publication on the subject proves it once again very well. As explained Bleeping Computerin its Android update dated November 2024, the web giant indeed closes two critical flaws allowing you to take control of a phone remotely.

Poetically labeled CVE-2024-43047 and CVE-2024-43093, the two vulnerabilities are the subject of “targeted and limited exploitation», Indicates Google. In plain English, this means that malicious hackers are aware of these bugs and are probably already using them for targeted hacking campaigns.

Fixes exist

The first flaw affects certain components of Qualcomm chips, the mobile platforms embedded in many Android phones. Already identified last month by the American manufacturer, the bug would, according to Amnesty International, allow spyware to be deployed on certain mobiles. The second directly affects Android at its heart, since it is, among other things, the Google Play update system which is vulnerable.

The situation is sufficiently worrying for ANSSI (the National Information Systems Security Agency) to publish an alert. The French agency specifies that “Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Google Android. Some of them allow an attacker to cause remote arbitrary code execution, escalation of privileges and breach of data confidentiality ».

Fortunately, Google has already started releasing security patches to resolve the problem. Updates dated November 1 and 5 should arrive on affected mobiles. Unfortunately, the updates are not yet available on our test Pixel 8.

If you want to check the availability of the update, go to the android settingssection System. Then click on Software updatesThen System update. Your phone should then start searching for the latest available image.

To go further
The EU wants to force manufacturers to better update their phones

If your mobile unfortunately no longer receives updates, the solutions available to you are hardly satisfactory. You can continue to use it while hoping not to be targeted by malicious programs, install a compatible alternative ROM that is still supported or even change your mobile. In any case, a little tour by the update manager can’t hurt.