Government warns about multiple security flaws in Android: What users need to know

Android

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a security advisory (CIVN-2025-0013) warning about multiple vulnerabilities in Android. These flaws could allow attackers to gain unauthorised access, execute arbitrary code, and compromise system stability.

CERT-In has classified the vulnerabilities as high-risk, with potential impacts including privilege escalation, data theft, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. The advisory also mentions that one of the vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-53104) is already being actively exploited in the wild.

The vulnerabilities affect devices running Android versions 12, 12L, 13, 14, and 15. Users of smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and other devices based on Android are advised to take immediate precautions.

According to CERT-In, the vulnerabilities arise due to flaws in multiple Android components, including:

Framework

Platform

System

Conscrypt component

Kernel

Arm components

Imagination Technologies

MediaTek components

Unisoc components

Qualcomm components (including closed-source elements)

These security weaknesses could be exploited to access sensitive user information, execute arbitrary code, or cause a device to crash.

CERT-In recommends users and OEMs apply security updates as soon as they are available. The latest security patches can be found in the Android Security Bulletin:

https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2025-02-01

Users should also follow best security practices, including:

Regularly updating their devices

Avoiding installation of apps from untrusted sources

Enabling Google Play Protect

Being cautious of phishing attempts