There is a very big problem with literally millions of Android phones around the world. There is a bug that hackers can use to gain access to your Android phone. The bug was caused by the fact that many phones these days use the same code that is very old. This is very attractive to hackers who have an easier time exploiting a bug if the OS is written in very old code. Android is releasing patches that they want all of their users to download. These patches will fix the bug and make it impossible of hackers to get inside your phone. The problem is that many people will not download the patches right away. In the meantime, these people will be exposed to hackers.
Some of the Android phones that are vulnerable to being exploited by a hacker using the bug are the Moto Z3, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Google Pixel 2. A hacker could completely take over the phone once he is inside. This is why Google is telling people to be very careful about all of the apps that they download. All it takes is one of the apps to be malicious and the hacker could be able to gain access to the phone very easily.
Google says that they have been taking a look at this particular bug for quite some time. That is why they have a patch all ready to go. According to wired.com, the company wants to remind people to always update their Android devices on a regular basis. You can set your Android phone to search for automatic updates every time that it is turned on. That would probably be the smartest thing you could do. This bug has already done quite a bit of damage. The good news is that Google did not waste any time trying to fix the bug with a new patch.
Google is also telling people who use Android phones to store all of the irreplaceable photos on a different hard drive. This will prevent them from being lost if a hacker takes over your phone due to the malware in the bug. Android phones have been through this type of scare before. It did not amount to much of anything. However, Google cannot afford to take this lightly. They need to get the attention of all Android users so they know what sort of threat awaits them if they download the wrong app.
