Quadrooter High Risk Privilege Escalation Vulnerabilities Affect Android Device Security

Four undisclosed security vulnerabilities found in Android phones and tablets that ship with Qualcomm chips could let a hacker take full control of an affected device. Qualcomm processors are found in about 900 million Android phones. Almost a billion Android devices are affected by the "high" risk privilege escalation vulnerabilities, dubbed "Quadrooter," say researchers at security firm Check Point. Adam Donenfeld, the firm's lead mobile security researcher who found the flaws, explained at the Def Con security conference on Sunday. An attacker would have to trick a user into installing a malicious app, which unlike some malware wouldn't require any special permissions. (Most Android phones do not allow the installation of third party apps outside of the Google Play app store, but attackers have slipped malware apps through the security process in the past. Google's own branded Nexus 5X, Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P  devices are affected, as are Samsung's Galaxy Sy and S7 Edge. The recently-announced BlackBerry DTEK50  which the RIM says is the most secure Android smartphone is also vulnerable to one of the flaws. Just how pervasive is Quadrooter and what will its true impact be? Share your assessment with the Cloud and Cyber Security Center.