Google’s Latest Android Update Fixes 47 Security Flaws
It’s time for Android security patches again, and in the February 2025 Android Security Bulletin, Google addressed 47 different bugs affecting its mobile operating system, one of which “may be subject to limited intended use.” In other words, hackers may already be using this to their advantage.
As usual, the fixes presented here cover a variety of issues, from attacks that can take advantage of the autofill feature on Android to exploits in Qualcomm chips that can corrupt memory on the device. Each error is ranked by severity and is associated with a specific part of the system.
Google isn’t disclosing details about potential security breaches, but the vulnerability, which may have already been exploited, is listed as CVE-2024-53104. According to The Hacker News , this refers to a “privilege escalation” that can be caused through an externally connected USB video device.
This means that malicious code can trick Android into granting VIP access to the system, as well as settings and data access that are normally closed to third-party apps. It will require some clever manipulation of video frame data to work, and it has reportedly been present in the Linux kernel since 2008.
According to GrapheneOS , one way to exploit the security hole is to extract data from a phone or tablet without permission, although this would require physical access to the device. There are no details on how or by whom this might have been actively exploited, but the latest update will fix the problem.
What Android users need to do
In addition to releasing updates to its own Pixel phones and applying fixes to the core Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code that all Android manufacturers use, Google is also warning companies like Samsung, Motorola and OnePlus at least a month before these fixes arrive so Android phone makers need to be prepared.
Security patches usually come out pretty quickly for obvious reasons, and in most cases all you have to do is sit and wait for an alert that an update is ready for your phone or tablet. These updates work in conjunction with the real-time protection offered by Google Play Protect .
If you’re using a Pixel phone, you can check for updates by going to Settings and tapping System > Software Update > System Update . Regardless of whether an update is available, you can see the version of Android you’re running on and the date the last update was applied.
Samsung Galaxy phones work on a similar principle: again, you’ll find a “Software Update” entry in Settings and can select “Download and Install” if any updates are in the pipeline. Android devices from other manufacturers will offer a similar option.
Google has actually split this security update into two so that its Android partners can quickly fix the most critical bugs before moving on to the second package – so you may find yourself stuck with a couple of updates. “Android partners are encouraged to fix any issues described in this bulletin and use the latest security updates,” Google said in a statement.