Dirty Stream: All About New Android Security Flaw

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6 May 2024

Microsoft has sounded an alarm about a recently discovered critical security vulnerability named 'Dirty Stream'


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The vulnerability exploits a flaw in the way apps share data with each other and impacts multiple apps with hundreds of millions of installs


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'Dirty Stream' can let malicious apps easily hijack legitimate apps, as per a note on Microsoft website


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This could cause hijackers to inject malicious code into other apps on your phone giving them full control over an applications' behaviour


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An important thing to note is that the vulnerability does not come from the system codes, but improper usage of a system by developers


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Microsoft said that the flaw has been flagged to Google, and the company has taken steps to make the developers aware of the issue


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The vulnerability relates to the ContentProvider system prevalent across many popular Android apps, as per Tom's Guide


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This system lets Android apps talk to one another and share files


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Some safeguards are already present in Android phones, but Microsoft found vulnerabilities in Xiaomi's File Manager and WPS Office 


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There is no need to delete apps right now, but Android users should ensure Google Play Protect is enabled on their smartphones

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