Google plugs serious Nexus vulnerability in latest security update

Google’s monthly Android security patches are always imperative for whichever phones are able to get them, but the January bundle is of particular importance to Nexus 6 and 6P owners. As spotted by Ars Tehcnica UK, Googe has plugged a “high-severity” exploit in its latest patch that could allow attackers to listen in on calls and steal data.

Only brought to light last week by IBM’s X-Force Exchange, the vulnerability in the two phone models opens access to hidden USB interfaces. According to the report, “By rebooting the device with custom bootmodes, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to override a secure USB configuration and gain elevated privileges on the system, cause a local permanent denial of service and exfiltrate sensitive information.” The researchers warned that the exploit could result in “data theft, data destruction, (and) data corruption.”

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