Android is one of the most popular OS for smart devices. It’s powerful and highly customizable, giving developers the ability to create the best use of their hardware. There are also good security features of Android that can ensure privacy. This time, it’s a really weird bug happened to be present in Android.
The bug
This bug is really funny. This bug exposes the SMS text open to the browser when searched using various terms.
For example, the initial report was when a user tried to access the URL “the1975..com”. Then, Google Pixel Launcher app returned the data of his SMS texts instead of the search result. The bug went public on Reddit. Eventually, there were also other Android-centered blogs who were able to reproduce the bug successfully.
The bug also worked on other Google apps. Here are some of the terms to try out for yourself –
the1976..com thw1975..com the1974..com the1975..com Izela viagens Vizel viagens Zela viagens
Google apps fixed
Such glitch wasn’t supposed to be present. Generally, Google apps have the ability to return user’s SMS text, but that requires permission from the user himself.
As it appears, it’s more a “glitch” rather than a security flaw. It’s not exploitable remotely, so you’re completely safe against any possible threat due to this issue. Even if someone has physical access to your smart device, he/she is more likely to log into your Message app instead of typing some garbage & meaningless text into your phone’s browser.
As of now, Google has already fixed the issue and released updates for Google Assistant, Pixel Launcher, Google Search and other related apps. Those should appear on your Play Store’s update section.
