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Samsung and Google disagree on whether Dirty Pipe vulnerability was fixed in recent patches
At least the Galaxy S22 is safe, even if the Pixel 6 isn't
Although updates for Pixels and Samsung's phones have been rolling out with the April 2022 patch levels included, there's been a lot of confusion about one important and high-profile security vulnerability. Although the Android Security Bulletin for April has been published today, it does not state that it addresses the Dirty Pipe vulnerability, which can be used for arbitrary code execution. Samsung, on the other hand, says that Google's patches in the April bulletin do address Dirty Pipe, and the Galaxy S22 series is no longer affected.
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December updates (which include the recent Feature Drop changes) are starting to roll out for Google's Pixel phones — with one almost-expected exception. One day later, that includes the Pixel 2 and 2 XL, which are receiving their last planned update.
Pixels get October patches with plenty of bugfixes, but this is the 2nd to last update for the Pixel 2 and 2 XL
Time to consider upgrading
Like clockwork, Google has just released its monthly Pixel updates, delivering both security enhancements as well as bug fixes and other improvements. This month, we have seven changes noted in the so-called "functional patch" notes, including auto-rotation improvements, automatic brightness fixes for the Pixel 4a, a bootloop fix, and a handful of other changes. Sadly, this month also marks the end of the Pixel 2 and 2 XL's stated support lifetime. Google has since confirmed to us that the phones will only get one more update after this in December.
Android 11 update for Google Pixels includes September security patches
Plus some pretty odd build numbers
Lost in yesterday's Android 11 hullabaloo was another bit of news: Security patches for Google's Pixel series were released together as part of the Android 11 update. This month's security-oriented fixes are more numerous than usual, with plenty of "high" and "critical" vulnerabilities included, so be sure to install the Android 11 update sooner rather than later.
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It's the 5th of the month of August 2019 and that means Google is pushing out a bunch of updates for your Android device. The latest Android Security Bulletin has been issued along with the latest Pixel Update Bulletin. For the most part, it's a quiet run this time around prior to the official launch of Android Q, though Pixel 3a and 3a XL users might see some more battery savings with this update.
The latest pair of Google flagships haven't been without their controversies — it's effectively a yearly ritual as the tech enthusiast community picks apart a new Pixel phone's faults— but subsequent updates typically resolve the vast majority of these issues. Lucky for us, Google claims that another Pixel 3 problem has been resolved with January's update. The issue with low-quality audio while recording video is allegedly fixed. And downloads are posted and ready for sideloading if you're impatiently waiting for this fix to hit your own Pixel 3.
It's the first Monday in a new month, so there's one thing you can typically expect from today: Google will release its monthly security patches for Pixels. There are a couple of surprises this month, though. The Nexus 5X and 6P are still getting updates, and December images for Google's 2016 Pixels are again curiously absent. The list of functional patches included this month is large, and it also includes "improved memory performance in certain circumstances," for the Pixel 3, 3XL, 2, and 2 XL.
One of the best benefits to owning Google's hardware is the regular monthly updates, which deliver both bug fixes and security patches at a predictable schedule. Like clockwork, Google has just pushed out its November OTA files and Factory Images for Pixel and currently supported Nexus devices — or, at least, for most of them. Unfortunately, functional patches this month don't seem to include fixes for any of the recent Pixel 3 issues just yet. (Update: Looks like one fix was silently included.)
Promptly on time, Google has released October's OTA files and factory images for the Pixels, as well as its general Android security bulletin for the month. At the same time, Verizon is pushing out the set of patches to Pixel users now. It's the second update to Android 9 Pie, and this time around there are no Pixel security patches — just a few functional patches including, most notably, what might finally be a fix for the 2016 Pixel fast charging bug.
The month of October has just begun, which means Pumpkin Spice lattes, leaves falling off trees, and marathons of The Nightmare Before Christmas on TV. It also means Google has released another Android security bulletin, just like the company does at the start of every month. As usual, OTA zips and factory images with the fixes are already available for Pixel and Nexus devices.
It's that time of month again where Google releases security fixes for Android. The Android Security Bulletin for February 2017 has just been posted, addressing 35 critical bugs - most of which affect Nexus and Pixel devices. The most severe issue that the February patch level fixes could enable remote code execution when processing media files.
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The latest factory images and OTA ZIPs bringing July's security patches to Nexus devices are ready for download. Thing is, those files are beefy, and they can take a while to download. Want to take a quicker route? Try downloading an incremental OTA ZIP instead.
Right on schedule on the first Monday of the month, Google's latest security updates for Nexus devices have arrived. Both factory images and OTA update zips for June 2016 are available for the following devices, Android version 6.0.1, listed below with build numbers for your convenience.