Indian government warns Android phone users of dangerous vulnerabilities; do this now

Your Android phone might be at risk! The Indian Government has warned Android phone users of high-risk vulnerabilities and urged them to take immediate action to protect themselves.

CERT-In has alerted Android phone users in India about some dangerous security vulnerabilities. (Pexels)

Your Android phone might be at risk, the Indian government has warned! In a recent development, the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has sounded the alarm on what it deems as "high" security risks lurking in the Android ecosystem. These vulnerabilities, if left unaddressed, could potentially provide malicious actors with unauthorized access to users' Android devices, putting sensitive information in jeopardy. The primary recourse offered to safeguard against this looming threat is to promptly update all applications directly through the official Play Store and check for available Android OS updates.

Who's at Risk?

This is a huge problem because it affects many Android phones, like those using Android 11, Android 12, and Android 13. Even if you have a tablet or foldable phone with Android 12, you could be in danger too. CERT-In says, “There are many issues in Android that could let someone do bad things to your phone, like getting special powers, seeing your private stuff, or even making your phone stop working.”

The issues come from different parts of Android, like Framework, System, Google Play, Qualcomm, and others. If bad people take advantage of these issues, they could steal your data and even money.

Steps to Stay Safe

The best way to protect yourself is to make sure your phone is up to date. First, check if your apps are all using the newest versions. You should also see if there's an Android update available for your phone. Finding updates might be a bit different depending on your phone, but you can usually go to 'Settings' and look for 'Android updates.' That should help keep your phone safe.

Even though the problems are in the phone's system, it's still a good idea to use apps made by trustworthy developers. And never download apps from other places on the internet.

It's important to note that CERT-In warned about similar problems in August 2023. Back then, it was Android 13 phones in India that were at risk. The problems came from issues in various parts of Android, just like this time.