If Android were a car engine, and you popped the hood and poked around a bit, you’d find the label “Linux” etched on the engine block. The open-source operating system provides the starting point that Android’s built on top of, but sharing code also means sharing vulnerabilities. Now a newly discovered Linux kernel bug is raising concerns for the security of Android devices, as it leaves a door open for malware intrusion.
The glitch in question has been dubbed “Dirty Pipe” by software engineer Max Kellerman, who provides a detailed writeup about the bug’s discovery. He first spotted some mysteriously corrupted log files last year, and his analysis of the problem revealed a kernel-level flaw that’s existed since 2020. The vulnerability lets software overwrite the system page cache, even for files where apps shouldn’t otherwise have permission. He determined that in the wrong hands the issue had potential for exploitation and alerted the team behind Linux kernel security. Properly coded malware could use this method to obtain full control of a vulnerable system by overwriting files as vital as the system’s root password.
Kellerman was also able to reproduce the bug on a Pixel 6, and reached out to let Google know. The company similarly prepared a fix, and merged it into the Android kernel. Right now, it’s just a matter of OEMs needing to incorporate that fixed kernel in future device updates.
For what it’s worth, Google confirmed to Android Police that Dirty Pipe did not play a role in delaying the release of Android 12L for the Pixel 6. Linux users, meanwhile, need to install their distro’s most recent security updates ASAP.
Android antivirus apps remain one of Android’s most common applications. Generally speaking, if you play it safely, you don’t need to have an antivirus program, just download apps from the Play Store and keep your security settings available. In the other side, however, there are those who enjoy taking a stroll and not doing those things. There’s just a lot of bad antivirus software out there. Even if those apps aren’t needed, knowing the safe ones that don’t suck is fine. Below are Android’s best Antivirus and Anti-Malware devices.
360 Security
360 Security is something of a mixed bag. Any of the protection stuff isn’t half bad and the other half is pretty bad then. The app scans your devices for possible malicious activity, but its detection rate is slightly higher than we would expect. Facebook is evil, and all, but it is not malware yet. In any case, this is a good, super simple antivirus app that shows you possible vulnerabilities and will do the scans. The software also includes a range of functions like phone booster and phone generator. We suggest that you should not use those at all because they are snake oil and they are not really operating.
McAfee is one of the big names of antivirus software. It is one of the biggest ones, too. The application provides features for screening, anti-theft, anti-spyware and security locking. Additionally, it can take photographs of your possible phone thief, record cloud locations until the phone shuts down, and other useful things. McAfee also has a number of other standalone apps. The UI is old, and looks not very fine. In addition, it has boosting features that don’t work and it needs the development of an account to go pro. The application’s antivirus portion works pretty well and some tertiary features are good.
Kaspersky is among the most common antivirus apps available. It has both a free version, and a paid edition. All versions provide SMS blocking and calling, scanning, malware monitoring and anti-theft. The premium edition includes items like the security in real time, an applock and more. Both models of course have malware scanning tools and things like that. It’s not nearly as powerful as the big antivirus software. Plus, it has no nasty booster features which don’t work. It’s good to see an antivirus app that doubles down on its intent, rather than trying to expand to items that make no sense. For many people, that makes it a good middle-of – the-road option.
ESET is another major name in the anti-malware and antivirus world. It includes scans, anti-theft support, a security auditor tool, scan scheduling, and more. The design is a little distracting. One of the few needing an email address is this. Otherwise, it would work reasonably well. Upon download, you’ll get a free one month trial. It goes from there for $1.99 a month, or $14.99 a year. As anything like AVAST or AVG it’s not quite heavy, but it’s heavier than CM Protection Lite or Bitdefender.
Malwarebytes is among the most common Windows antivirus software. The mobile version is also relatively fine. It features a collection of actively modified viruses, malware and ransomware support, a permission tracker, and more. It can also search messages for potentially harmful connections in WhatsApp, Email, SMS and so on. Obviously it even does the normal stuff like scanning. The app looks good, it works well and isn’t as heavy as others. This is also reasonably priced at $1.49 a month, or $11.99 a year.
