Nearly All Google Pixel Phones Exposed by Unpatched Flaw in Hidden Android App
A fix is coming, but data analytics giant Palantir says it’s ditching Android devices altogether because Google’s response to the vulnerability has been troubling.
iVerify vice president of research Matthias Frielingsdorf points out that while Showcase represents a concerning exposure for Pixel devices, it is turned off by default. This means that an attacker would first need to turn the application on in a target's device before being able to exploit it. The most straightforward way to do this would involve having physical access to a victim's phone as well as their system password or another exploitable vulnerability that would allow them to make changes to settings.
Just a bit of alarmism then, with something that can be easily removed in an update.
Not only can it be removed, they've already said it going to happen soon.
The story isn't nearly as dramatic as it seems. Maybe this thread can offer some nuance: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/112967309987371034
Thanks for sharing!
The issue relates to a software package called “Showcase.apk” that runs at the system level and lurks invisible to users. The application was developed by the enterprise software company Smith Micro for Verizon as a mechanism for putting phones into a retail store demo mode—it is not Google software. Yet for years, it has been in each Android release for Pixel and has deep system privileges, including remote code execution and remote software installation. Even riskier, the application is designed to download a configuration file over an unencrypted HTTP web connection that iVerify researchers say could be hijacked by an attacker to take control of the application and then the entire victim device.
"flaw"
any idea if de-google phones have this "feature"
The app isn't enabled by default so stock Pixels aren't even vulnerable without physical access to an unlocked device.
I couldn't find the APK on my pixel 5 running lineage so I think only stock-based roms should be affected. I checked using an APK extractor app that lists all system apps including things like 3 button navigation bar.
GrapheneOS doesn't include this, along with many other unnecessary carrier apps
I have doubts that this apk is enabled and running on all pixels, it's especially not on custom roms such as Graphene (I just checked my own).
The GrapheneOS guys also explained why this isn't nearly as bad as it sounds, and how Wired is simply fearmongering: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/112967309987371034
Kind of a nothing burger
All these updates and they let this get by. That's pretty ridiculous.
Don't let this misleading Wired article fearmonger you. I recommend this thread, which provides some nuance to this drama: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/112967805820394815
Many thanks. I'll check it out.
