Google Patches Zero-Day Flaw in Android That Hackers Are Already Exploiting

The patch is rolling out through Android's August security update.

Google has uncovered a serious flaw in Android that hackers are already exploiting.

The company disclosed and patched the previously unknown "zero-day" flaw in this month’s security update for Android. The vulnerability, dubbed CVE-2024-36971, is particularly dangerous because it affects the mobile operating system’s kernel, the central brain to the software.

“There are indications that CVE-2024-36971 may be under limited, targeted exploitation,” Google warned in the security update.

By exploiting the flaw, a hacker can remotely execute code with system privileges, paving a way to  trigger an Android device into downloading and installing malware. Specifically, the flaw pertains to a kernel function called "__dst_negative_advice()," which wasn’t enforcing a synchronization mechanism called Read-Copy Update or RCU.  

The resulting bug can lead to a use-after-free vulnerability, where the operating system is re-accessing a memory location, even though the memory space has been freed up or deallocated. The effect can trigger memory corruption, crashes, or a way to manipulate a system to run unauthorized computer code. 

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