It’s been a long January. We can’t say why and how but the month seemed longer. It must be the cold, winter season. February has begun which means the latest Android OS update should be available. It’s actually ready as of yesterday, February 4. The Android Security Bulletin now includes the newest 2019-02-05 security patch levels plus a number of bug fixes and upgrades. We encourage you to check your settings and Android version and get the update if available.
You may also check the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) repository for security patches and fixes within the next few days. If you’re an official Android partner, you may already know that it is available.
The Android team warns a critical security vulnerability in the Framework. It could allow a hacker or remote attacker to execute arbitrary code by simply using a PNG file.
Exploting this vulnerability would affecte a mobile device in ways we don’t know. Once bypassed, the attacker can do anythingto the device. Interestingly, there are no reports yet of abuse or active customer exploitation so you have nothing to worry about.
Feel free to check Google Play Protect and Android mitigations section for further details on security. Note that together with this update, the Pixel Update Bulletin is also ready with functional improvements and security upgrades for Google Pixel devices. You should see the 2019-02-05 security patch levels, ready for your Pixel phone.
Even before the Android team made the official announcement, the Essential team rolled out the same security patch for the Essential Phone.
We're rolling out February's security patch now. Keep an eye out for the update on your Essential Phone. pic.twitter.com/ljXyFOScpQ
— Essential (@essential) February 4, 2019
