In the digital age, your devices are under a constant attack from hackers looking to steal your financial information, contacts and more. There’s no shortage of cybercriminals who want to exploit you for financial gain.
A strandhogg Android vulnerability was discovered by Check Point Research that affects two hundred million devices worldwide. The vulnerability enables an attacker to remotely take control of any device that’s not patched up with the latest software updates from Google. If the hackers successfully exploit your device, they’ll gain access to sensitive and valuable data that you may store on it.
What is strandhogg Android vulnerability?
Strandhogg Android vulnerability is a security flaw that affects Android devices running on Qualcomm chipsets. Qualcomm is one of the world’s leading semiconductor companies and is active in more than 150 countries and territories across the globe. Devices affected by strandhogg vulnerability include smartphones, tablets and wearable devices such as smartwatches. In other words, almost all Android devices are vulnerable to the security threat if not patched up with the latest software updates from Google. You can get Appsealing app security
How does strandhogg Android vulnerability work?
It exploits a specific component called fuse transfer API. An attacker can remotely exploit the vulnerability by sending a special Android Package (APK) to the victim device. The APK contains an IPC interface that is used by trusted and privileged background services in order to communicate with other apps. The flaw lies in the fact that any app can send commands through this IPC interface, thereby bypassing Android’s permission system and gaining access to sensitive operations.
Is strandhogg Android vulnerability dangerous?
The vulnerability allows hackers to gain complete control over your device: they can install malicious apps, steal your data and more. Hackers could also disable antivirus software on the affected device or take control of any other app that’s installed on it. This leaves you vulnerable to cyberattacks that could have devastating consequences.
What should you do?
The good news is that the vulnerability has been patched up by Google. Fixing strandhogg Android vulnerability requires you to upgrade to the latest version of Android which is currently Nougat. You can also upgrade your device’s firmware in order to patch up any security flaws that may exist on it. Upgrading your device’s software is a surefire way of avoiding cyberattacks and online frauds alike.
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Check Point has disclosed this vulnerability to Google, and the company has already released a patch that fixes strandhogg Android vulnerability on the majority of devices. Google has also released the source code behind its fix which will allow manufacturers to roll out Android updates faster than ever before.
Ever heard of strandhogg android vulnerability? Maybe you’ve already been affected by it. With so many malicious apps, vulnerabilities, and trojans these days in the Google Play Store, it’s become difficult to know what you can trust. The recent strandhogg android vulnerability may be the worst of all.
It’s called StrandHogg. It’s a recently discovered Trojan, and it affects Google Play Store users who all want to download free applications. What they don’t realize, is that they have downloaded something else entirely.
What is strandhogg android vulnerability?
StrandHogg attacks users through the Google Play Store by exploiting its policies to spread malware in an undetectable way, and then turning user devices into bots for large-scale Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack services – basically making money off the backs of victims.
How does strandhogg android vulnerability work?
StrandHogg disguises itself as a legitimate application in the Google Play Store and then makes a copy of itself on the device. Then, it calls back to a server located outside of the country that the infected user is in, making it difficult for conventional security products to detect. When activated, StrandHogg forces the device to download and install an APK that turns any mobile device into part of a botnet used for DDoS attacks. Using this method helps attackers bypass two-factor authentication because they are not technically accessing accounts; they are actually taking over devices.
Once the user downloads the app and installs it, the app can push any additional payloads to the devices and start a DDoS attack. This allows for a wide range of attacks that are customized for each attack target. The attacks can easily reach 40 Gbps, which is enough to take down most enterprise networks. Unlike most DDoS attacks seen today, this method also makes it difficult to identify sources of an attack because there’s no centralized attacker.
Due to its ability to bypass two-factor authentication, StrandHogg has become a serious threat that needs immediate attention. The fact that it can operate without a centralized control server also makes this particular Trojan very dangerous. With the threat of this Trojan spreading at an alarming rate, it is critical that users take the necessary precautions to keep their devices safe.
How do I protect myself from strandhogg android vulnerability?
As a user, you need to be constantly vigilant. If a new app you download does not appear in your trusted list, and if its icon looks different from all the other apps in your Play Store account, then it’s best to avoid it. You may also want to stay away from applications that ask you to provide certain personal information before installing them.
As a developer, you can help protect your users by updating your Play Store listing and making sure that your app does not carry any suspicious adverts.
Conclusion
Other than taking these steps, there isn’t a lot you can do to ensure that you’re not affected by this strandhogg android vulnerability. You can, however, stay informed by following the latest news on this Trojan as well as cyber-security trends in general.
