Google patches Android flaw

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Google has reportedly patched a browser flaw in its Android operating system, which left anyone with the new T-Mobile G1 vulnerable.

According to reports, a software update went out at the beginning of last week to fix the browser problem and make a few other changes. Most G1 handsets will have received the fix by now, in the form of a message saying “a system update is available.” The patch fixes the reported problem.

The problem was discovered earlier in the week, just before the UK launch of the first ever Google Android based phone, the G1. In a report, security researchers Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) showed that Android’s browser featured a flaw, which could enable malware to be installed – but only if the user clicked a malicious link.

Indeed, ISE noted that Android’s security was in fact quite robust, and kept different aspects of the code separate, meaning attackers could take control of the browser but not the rest of the phone.

Google had not returned request for comment at the time of writing.

For our first-look review at the G1, click here.

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