Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Bin your Android: ONE BILLION phones can be infected by text message
- Thread starter You are the One
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Apparently it goes deeper than that. You have to either root your device and disable Stagefright, which is an integral part of the Android operating system, or disable Google Hangouts (which doesn't solve the problem completely), or ask your carrier not to send you MMS messages.
We here on the forums are pretty technically savvy. Most Android (and iPhone) users aren't. This flaw could be exploited to epic proportions because carriers don't push updates to the phones quickly -- or at all. This is why rooting Android phones is so popular: Carriers don't update older phones hoping that you buy the latest one instead.
I believe that Samsung pushed out security updates through their Knox service to fix this problem on the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note phones.
The media will be all over this, with that exact headline.... 
makes u sick doesn't it ? Media jumps on everything just for the clicks..
just like anything out there user must take action before u can do stuff.... If u have a rooted device, then a security flaw like this comes out, why are people worried, Personally the only may to make people understand the risks, i say, Google should take a page from Apple, and just leave them vulnerable. Even though their may be "fixes" developed from other sources at the result, so what ?
you root your phone, you pay the price... why should this be any different than what Apple doesn't do ?
I thought it was the USER who should be understanding the term: "Do at your own risk" and not the manufacture/mobile cellular companies keeping rooted devices updates. To me it just says, you root your device, BUT u cannot take care of yourself.
Why not ?
makes u sick doesn't it ? Media jumps on everything just for the clicks..
just like anything out there user must take action before u can do stuff.... If u have a rooted device, then a security flaw like this comes out, why are people worried, Personally the only may to make people understand the risks, i say, Google should take a page from Apple, and just leave them vulnerable. Even though their may be "fixes" developed from other sources at the result, so what ?
you root your phone, you pay the price... why should this be any different than what Apple doesn't do ?
I thought it was the USER who should be understanding the term: "Do at your own risk" and not the manufacture/mobile cellular companies keeping rooted devices updates. To me it just says, you root your device, BUT u cannot take care of yourself.
Why not ?
Last edited:
The media DID jump all over it, 2 months ago when this came to light.
It's not a rooted vs. not rooted issue. This was something that could POTENTIALLY impact any device that wasn't patched, which are any device that is no longer updated by the manufacturer.
It's not a rooted vs. not rooted issue. This was something that could POTENTIALLY impact any device that wasn't patched, which are any device that is no longer updated by the manufacturer.
Then that would only affect applications running in the Knox container. Regular applications would not be fixed. I'm not certain most Samsung users even know what Knox is and what benefit it brings to the table. Even those who do hate Knox because you have to start it separately, log in separately, and launch your applications separately.
I worked for an OEM supplier to Samsung for some of their Knox security. Even that company doesn't use it any more.