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Google Play Fails to Filter Unsafe Applications
In spite of the efforts of Google app developers to close an acute hole in its Android OS that permits any app to be spun into a devastating and mind-wrecking Trojan. Programs are reportedly appearing on Google’s app store Google Play with such flimsy facades.
Bitdefender – A world famous Antivirus program has discovered that a huge number of Applications in Google Play have been found containing a “MasterKey” vulnerability threat.
Bogan Botezatu, A Senior E-threat Analyst from BitDefender claims that, “…there is no need to panic, the apps actually contain two copies of PNG files which are part of the game’s UI.”
Although these septic applications are not running a malicious code – this does not mean that they cannot be exploited in future. This bug is actually exposing the Android to overwrite an image file in the package, generally by mistake.
This thing to worry about is, this kind of application should never make it to the Play store. What kind of custom check does Google have that it is missing such high risk applications at Border control.
Free Solution to Google Play’s Miss
This flaw is taken as an oversight my application developers, but whatever be the case, it is highly disturbing. Google Play’s inattention to such applications is evidence enough that we cannot rely on that market for safe products. Google has refused to comment on this story altogether
A Recent Fix has been released by Google for the MasterKey Vulnerability for Android 4.2 and above users. While the users with the latest devices and Android OS may have the fix, but a majority number of users are still using older platforms and devices, the patch is not available to them.
Free software has been launched by Webroot last week, SecureAnywhere Mobile. This application will address the MasterKey vulnerability in older platforms of Android.
Unholy Triad
Although Google was fast enough to provide a fix for the MasterKey flaw, it still remains to be seen how quickly the fix will reach the Android Users.
Google, the mobile giants and wireless carriers represent an “Unholy Triad” in the world of Android which prolongs the exposure of user’s to security vulnerabilities claims Randy Abrams, Research Director for NSS Laboratories.
“Not only are the users isolated in outdated versions of Android OS that do not have the most recent security updates, but those with the current versions of Android OS are left in danger for excessively long durations of time,” Randy told TechNewsWorld.
He further suggested that if Upgrades and Updates are not provided in an allocated time frame then penalties or fines should be imposed on the responsible.
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