Samsung Update has now learnt that Android users not running the latest version of the Google operating system might be in for a surprise from malicious goons, hackers and crackers. This comes after the new 2015 hits home in corporate circles. According to information obtained from several sources, one of the core components in Android smartphones won't be getting updates from Google, the company behind Android.
According to Appalled Security Researchers, Google will no longer be distributing security updates for the Android WebView tool on devices running Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) or below. Apparently, it appears that Google shut down this update without informing the over 939 million affected users. This number translates to roughly two-thirds of all Android users.
WebView allows apps to display webpagtes within their interfaces. Currently, scores of Android apps and ad networks make 7use of WebView, which Google even advocates for in their Android developer documentation, to render webpages. In terms of security, WebView happens to be the popular attack vector for nearly any remote execution loophole in Android. This is according to Rapid7 engineering head Tod Beardsley.
The Android operating system has been a popular bait for hackers, mostly going for the masses of users who run devices on this platform. The fact that Google will no longer be offering this update makes things worse, if not dangerous. There are already existing ways in which potential hackers and criminals could break into your phone by easily exploiting WebView. According to Justin Clarke, a security professional working at Gotham Digital Science, hackers love to target WebView due to its ability to interact with other key parts of the Android operating system.
So far, Google has refused to comment on the matter. Security analysts presume the company made this decision when it chose not to include WebView in it's latest Operating system. Android 5.0 Lollipop.