India’s
cybersecurity
regulator has issued a warning for users using smartphones and tablets running on some older versions of
Android
.
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team
(
CERT-In
), which comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has rated the severity of the ‘warning’ as “High”.
According to Cert-In, multiple
vulnerabilities
have been spotted in Android OS that can be exploited by a local attacker to gain elevated privileges and obtain sensitive information on the targeted system.
Which Android versions are affected
The vulnerabilities have been found in smartphones running versions prior to Android 12, Android 12L, Android 13 and Android 14 operating systems.
What the government has said
The vulnerabilities exist in Android due to flaws in the Framework, System, Google Play system updates, Kernel, Arm components, MediaTek components, Imagination Technologies, Qualcomm components and Qualcomm closed-source components, Cert-in said.
“Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges and obtain sensitive information on the targeted system,” it added.
The cybersecurity regulator has advised those using phones on older
Android versions
to apply the latest
security patch
as soon as they are available for their devices.
How to update your Android smartphones and tablets:
- Open Settings on your device
- Tap on Software updates
- Tap “Check for updates” button.
- Tap Install if there’s an update available for your smartphone or tablet.
- Once done, restart the phone.
Previously, CERT-In warned about a vulnerability found within multiple versions of the Android including Android 12, Android 12L, Android 13 and Android 14 operating systems.
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