Today Google released details about its July 2017 security patches for Android devices.
The patches addresses a major number of security holes that threaten all Android devices. Google found a significant number of vulnerabilities, of which it classified a dozen as critical, or able to remotely execute code. Many of the problems are related to specific hardware and the associated software drivers that control them, for example, a Broadcom WiFi driver, an HTC sound driver, and an Nvidia video driver.
Google is pushing two separate patches to cover these vulnerabilities, one dated July 1 and the second dated July 5. Google is distributing the patches directly to its own Nexus- and Pixel-branded devices first.
Google has already posted factory images for download directly from its web site. Over the air downloads will appear soon. Google’s handsets will receive both patches in a single download.
Google said to its knowledge none of these security holes have been exploited. Google has already given the patches to its OEM partners. Android device makers are responsible for updating their own hardware with the patches.
