Grindr and others patch extreme Android malicious program

Fixes for CVE-2020-8913 deployed as app developers shore up their defences in opposition to a disclosed Google Play vulnerability

Alex Scroxton

Alex Scroxton,
Safety Editor

Revealed: 07 Dec 2020 10: 08

Android mobile utility developers, including those engaged on one of the basic basic arena’s most powerful dating apps, have been speeding to apply a delayed patch to a extreme flaw in the Google Play Core library – a extreme component right by design of of pushing app updates and current aspects are residing – that presumably left millions of mobile customers uncovered to compromise.

The malicious program in request, CVE-2020-8913, is a local, arbitrary code execution vulnerability, which will have let attackers contain an Android Kit Kit (APK) focusing on an app that lets in them to full code because the centered app, and in the waste bag honest of entry to the target’s person files.

It changed into patched by Google earlier in 2020, nonetheless because it is far a shopper-facet vulnerability, in convey of a server-facet vulnerability, it’ll not be mitigated in the wild unless app developers update their Play Core libraries.

Final week, researchers at Test Level printed a different of standard apps have been serene open to exploitation of CVE-2020-8913, and knowledgeable the firms on the wait on of them.

The unpatched apps integrated Reserving, Bumble, Cisco Groups, Microsoft Edge, Grindr, OkCupid, Moovit, PowerDirector, Viber, Xrecorder and Yango Decent. Between them, these apps have collected over 800,000,000 downloads, and loads of more are no doubt affected. Of those, Grindr, Reserving, Cisco Groups, Moovit and Viber have now confirmed the express has been fastened.

A Grindr spokesperson told Pc Weekly: “We are grateful for the Test Level researcher who brought the vulnerability to our attention. On the identical day that the vulnerability changed into dropped at our attention, our crew speedy issued a hotfix to take care of the express.

“As we know it, in expose for this vulnerability to have been exploited, a person must have been tricked into downloading a malicious app onto their cell phone that is particularly tailored to spend the Grindr app.

“As share of our commitment to bettering the safety and security of our service, now we have gotten partnered with HackerOne, a number one security company, to simplify and enhance the ability for security researchers to anecdote issues equivalent to those. We provide a straightforward vulnerability disclosure page by design of HackerOne that is monitored directly by our security crew.

“We are able to continue to enhance our practices to proactively take care of these and equivalent concerns as we continue our commitment to our customers,” they talked about.

Aviran Hazum, Test Level’s supervisor of mobile compare, talked about it estimated that hundreds of millions of Android householders remained at threat.

“The vulnerability CVE-2020-8913 is extremely unhealthy,” talked about Hazum. “If a malicious utility exploits this vulnerability, it’ll manufacture code execution interior standard functions, acquiring the identical bag honest of entry to because the inclined utility. As an illustration, the vulnerability would perchance allow a threat actor to select two-component authentication codes or inject code into banking functions to settle credentials.

“Or a threat actor would perchance inject code into social media functions to glance on victims or inject code into all IM [instant messaging] apps to settle all messages. The attack potentialities right here are excellent restricted by a threat actor’s creativeness,” talked about Hazum.

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