- Aug 17, 2014
- 11,114
Google patched last month an Android bug that can let hackers spread malware to a nearby phone via a little-known Android OS feature called NFC beaming.
NFC beaming works via an internal Android OS service known as Android Beam. This service allows an Android device to send data such as images, files, videos, or even apps, to another nearby device using NFC (Near-Field Communication) radio waves, as an alternative to WiFi or Bluetooth.
The October 2019 Android patches removed the Android Beam service from the OS whitelist of trusted sources.
However, many millions of users remain at risk. If users have the NFC service and the Android Beam service enabled, a nearby attacker could plant malware (malicious apps) on their phones.
Android bug lets hackers plant malware via NFC beaming
All Android 8 (Oreo) or later devices are impacted. Google released a patch last month, in October 2019.
www.zdnet.com