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Tensor-powered Pixel phones could soon get a rare upgrade
The update would put newer Pixels on Linux kernel 6.1
Although it may not be a factor you consider when purchasing a smartphone, the kernel used in your device has a significant impact on its functionality. It’s this component that manages everything from your smartphone’s memory to its file systems. If your kernel is dated, your device may exhibit noticeable performance issues, or worse — it could have critical security vulnerabilities. To help Tensor-based Pixel phone owners avoid these pitfalls, Google is now rumored to be working on such an update.
Pixel 6 and Galaxy S22 affected by major new Linux kernel vulnerability
Fully "pwned" in a demonstration with privilege escalation, root, and SELinux disabled
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A seemingly major vulnerability has been discovered by security researcher and Northwestern PhD student Zhenpeng Lin, affecting the kernel on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro and other Android devices running Linux kernel versions based on 5.10 like the Galaxy S22 series. Precise details for how the vulnerability works have not yet been published, but the researcher claims that it can enable arbitrary read and write, privilege escalation, and disable SELinux security protections — in short, this is a biggie. The researcher has verified to Android Police that Google was not informed of the vulnerability before its demonstration on Twitter.
Android 12 QPR3 beta 2 patches Dirty Pipe on the Google Pixel 6
But it's unclear when the updated kernel is coming to stable builds
If you follow the world of security closely these days, you've had two words on your mind for months: Dirty Pipe. As a vulnerability discovered in recent Linux kernel versions, Dirty Pipe affected a handful of the most recent Android smartphones — most notably, the Galaxy S22 series and the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. With this month's security patch, Samsung fixed the exploit for its phones, but Google's changelog left out any mention of whether it'd solved the problem. Thanks to today's QPR3 beta release, we finally know what's going on.
Dirty Pipe: What is it, is my phone affected, what's being done to fix it, and do I need to be worried about it?
Everything you need to know about the vulnerability
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Little more than a month after Samsung announced its Galaxy S22-series flagship, a security researcher found a major vulnerability that puts them, and a handful of other Android phones at risk. Over the past few days, there's been a lot of questions and concerns about the exploit known as Dirty Pipe. Here's the rundown on the Dirty Pipe exploit, the phones affected by it, and what you can do to stay safe.
In late February, the cyber gang calling itself Lapsus$ broke into Nvidia's internal network and managed to steal a lot of sensitive data, from hashed login credentials to critical trade secrets behind the company's chips. The hackers demanded Nvidia remove the lock on its newer GPUs that automatically slowed them down when mining cryptocurrency and was given until March 4 to comply — or Lapsus$ would release those trade secrets. The cybercriminals have started making good on their threats, and now the fallout from their data dump threatens to help malware avoid detection.
Google plans to bring Android's kernel closer to the Linux upstream
If successful, it could reduce fragmentation and development time
Google has spent nearly half a decade attempting to make it easier for OEMs to keep their devices updated, most notably with the introduction of Project Treble in 2017. The company has previously proposed efforts to bring Android closer to the Linux kernel, something it's finally attempting with the upcoming release of Android 12. At this week's Linux Plumbers Conference, Google laid out how it's planning to accomplish its lofty goal.
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Although Motorola has been slow to roll out Android 10 to most of its devices globally, the company is at least keeping developers happy with steady kernel source releases. Over the past few weeks, Motorola has released updated source code packages for most of its phones, accelerating the creation of custom ROMs and recovery partitions.
Though stable Android 11 builds haven't yet arrived for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro — they're still on Android 11 DP4 — OnePlus has already gone ahead and published the Android 11 kernel source. This means that developers can get a small head start on custom software like ROMs and recoveries.
Microsoft releases Surface Duo kernel source code — developers, start your engines
The company has also published a handy guide for compiling the source yourself
After much anticipation, Microsoft launched its very first Android device last month. In Corbin's review, he called it a phone for enthusiasts, and that's something Microsoft seems to be embracing. Microsoft has released the Surface Duo's kernel source, which will assist third-party developers in building custom ROMs and kernels for the unique device.
Asus revealed the Zenfone 7 and 7 Pro last month, following months of rumors and speculation. If you don't plan on sticking with the stock ROM, Asus has now released the bootloader unlock tool for both phones, as well as kernel source code packages for developers to try out.
Motorola releases Android 10 kernel source for the Edge, One Fusion+, and G7 Power
Three new builds for custom ROM developers to play with
Customizability has always been a key component of Android, with third-party developers being able to modify and create their own tweaked builds of the software. When companies release the kernel source for their devices, it makes this process much easier. Motorola may not have the best reputation when it comes to software updates, but it's usually pretty good about releasing this low-level code, and it's doing so now with the Motorola One Fusion+, Motorola Edge, and Moto G7 Power Android 10 kernel sources.
OnePlus 8 series kernel source now available to developers
It should help the development of custom ROMs and recoveries
The license for the Linux kernel at the heart of Android requires that any changes, including modifications by device manufacturers, need to be publicly available. Some companies are faster to release their changes than others, but after only a few weeks on the market, kernel source packages for the OnePlus 8 series is now available.
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The Motorola One Power was one of the first of the company's phones to get Android 10. If custom ROMs are more your style, Motorola has now released the kernel source code for the Android 10 update, making it easier for developers to create ROMs and recoveries based on Android 10.
LG releases kernel source code for V60 ThinQ
App devs can support LG's trademark mobile features like its Quad DAC systems
LG has published the kernel source for its latest smartphone, the V60 ThinQ. The code is available for two variants of the device: LMV600N and LMV600NO. The phone was released with LG's skinned version of Android 10.
Android is built on top of the Linux kernel, but it has always used a heavily-modified version with changes from OEMs, chip manufacturers like Qualcomm and MediaTek, and Google. There have been efforts over the years to close the gap between the two kernels, but now Google is getting more serious about it.
As has become nearly customary for OnePlus, the 7T's announcement last week has been immediately followed by the device's kernel source release. If you're a custom ROM developer, an enthusiast, or a general modder, you'll find that code necessary for your future tinkering.
Now that the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro are getting some circulation with consumers, it's time to release the floodgates and let the community do what it wants with the phones — that means letting developers develop. So, the company has released Android Q Beta builds for both devices and is in the process of pushing out kernels for each one.
Some companies, like Motorola and Google, are quick to release kernel source code for their new phones. Nokia is a mixed bag in this regard, especially since it just now released code for the Nokia 2... which came out nearly two years ago.
The Motorola G7 series has been widely available for a few weeks now. If you're a developer looking to make ROMs or custom recoveries for the phones, here's some good news — Motorola hast just released the kernel source code for the G7 Plus.
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- A new statement issued by a spokesperson asserts that OnePlus is still very interested in maintaining a good relationship with developers, and that the company's working now to retool the process through which it interacts with them:
OnePlus initially found its niche by appealing to hardcore Android enthusiasts. Over the years, the company's phones have always had a strong ROM/kernel development scene. OnePlus even sent free devices to popular developers — until now, that is.