Tag Archives: Android

Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Non-Updated Android Phones Vulnerable To NFC Beaming Hacks

Has it been more than a month since you upgraded your Android OS?

If so, you should make upgrading a priority.

Just over a month ago, Google patched a critical flaw in the Android OS that allowed hackers to “beam” malware to any unpatched devices via a process called ‘NFC Beaming’.

It relies on a service called Android Beam that allows an Android device to send videos, apps, images, or other files to a nearby device using Near-Field Communication (NFC) radio waves as an alternative to Bluetooth or WiFi.  It’s a great technology and a handy capability but sadly, its implementation was flawed.

Fortunately, the flaw was unearthed by an independent security researcher who alerted Google to the problem.  Even worse, when files are sent in this manner, the user would not get a prompt warning them that an app was attempting to be installed from an “unknown source.”

If there’s a silver lining in all of this, it is the fact that NFC connections are only initiated when two devices are sitting close to each other. By ‘close’ we mean really close.  The range is limited to 4 centimeters (about an inch and a half).  This limits the attack vector’s utility quite sharply.

Even so, it’s something to be aware of, especially if you travel frequently. It’s well worth grabbing Google’s latest update for Android Oreo if you haven’t already done so.  The alternative to this course of action is to go into your Android settings and disable Android Beam and NFC if it’s a feature you seldom use anyway.

Kudos to the sharp-eyed researcher who caught the bug, and to Google, who responded swiftly and issued a fix for the issue.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Windows 10 Will Get Android Phone Call Integration Features

Microsoft may have given up on the idea of putting their Windows operating system on smartphones, but that doesn’t mean they’ve given up on smartphones altogether.

Recently, the company announced a significant feature addition that will allow users to take calls made to an Android phone from their Windows-based PC.

 

The new feature is currently only available to Windows Insiders for testing, but will be generally available to all users in an upcoming build in the unspecified, but not too distant future.  It makes use of your PCs speakers, microphone and computer screen. Using the new feature, you’ll be able to answer an incoming call from your PC, decline calls from the PC with a custom text, transfer calls between your PC and Android phone, and access your recent call history.

In order to make use of the feature, three conditions must be true:  You must be using Windows 10 Build 19H1, version 1903 or higher, and the Android phone must be running version 7.0 Nougat or higher.  In addition to that, the PC needs to have Bluetooth radio installed. Once those conditions are met, you’re all set and can turn your trusty PC into a substitute for your Android phone.

Initially, when news of the feature first leaked, it was to be available only to certain Samsung Galaxy devices. However, in the weeks since the leak, Microsoft has broadened their horizons, although a few of the features are still exclusive to Samsung’s phones.  How long that remains true is yet to be determined.

In any case, it’s a good move and a genuinely valuable addition to Windows 10’s capabilities, allowing Windows/Android users to communicate in new ways and more efficiently, to boot.  Kudos to Microsoft and Google for bridging the divide, and if you’re not a Windows Insider, stay tuned.  You’ll be able to experiment with the new functionality before you know it.

 

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Screen Protectors Circumvent Fingerprint Security On Samsung Devices

Do you own a Samsung Galaxy S10?  If so, one of the reasons you bought it may be because of its cutting-edge biometric technology. It utilizes ultrasounds to create a detailed 3D map of your fingerprint and thus, provides a greater level of security.

Earlier in the year, the company warned its customers against using tempered glass screen protectors with their phones.

This was due to the fact that those products tended to create a small gap of air when used on the phone that interfered with the creation of a good fingerprint map.

Now, it seems, a new problem has emerged.  A couple in the UK accidentally discovered that if an inexpensive silicone case was put on the phone, it interfered with the operation of the fingerprint scanner and allowed literally any fingerprint to unlock the phone. The couple did some experimentation on this front and worked with Samsung customer support to reach their conclusion.  Sure enough, when the silicone case was on the phone, the owner’s husband and sister could unlock it with their fingerprints, even though neither of their fingerprints had been registered on the phone.

For their part, Samsung has reported that they are opening an investigation into the matter. For now, they warn consumers to only use Samsung approved accessories with their Galaxy S10 and S10+ phones. That’s good advice, but here’s the danger:  If a hacker physically steals your phone, they may be able to unlock it and conduct financial transactions from it by doing nothing more than buying a cheap silicone case and slipping it on.

Needless to say, this is a potentially serious issue.  If you own a Samsung Galaxy S10 or S10+ you can experiment with it for yourself, but be prepared to be dismayed by the results and take care not to let your phone out of your sight until the company can find a way to resolve the issue.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Some Android Apps Are Charging People Big Money

Security researchers at Sophos Labs have alerted Google to the presence of more than two dozen apps on the Play Store that are abusing a loophole in Google’s policies that allow them to charge hefty fees to unsuspecting users.  Here’s how it works: Many apps offer a free and a subscription-based service, and many of those allow users to try the full version of the app for a free trial period.

If they decide they don’t want to pay for the full version, they can cancel their subscription before the free trial ends and avoid any fees.

According to the letter of the law of Google’s policies though, canceling a free trial and uninstalling the app in question are two separate events.  Most developers interpret an uninstall as a cancellation of the free trial, but not all.  A few unsavory developers have decided that unless the user specifically cancels their free trial prior to uninstalling the app, they’ll charge them anyway.

In many cases, the charges are modest. However, the worst abusers of this policy have hit unsuspecting users with charges amounting to hundreds of dollars for very simple apps like calculators, GIF creators or QR code readers.

Since being alerted to the issue, Google has removed more than half of the offending apps, but a few of them remain. Be sure you look closely at the terms of any app you install.  The last thing you want is to be hit with a hefty fee for what amounts to a moderately useful app.

It should be noted that the apps in question can, in no way, be described as malware.  They’re perfectly innocent apps that developers have built excessive, even predatory fees into.  Kudos to Google for taking a stand against the practice but we wish they had washed them all away.  As it stands, there are still a few bad actors on the Play Store, so be mindful of that.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

New Chrome Feature Allows Sending Web Pages To Devices

If you use Google’s Chrome browser for web connectivity, you’re about to get a new feature you’ll probably fall in love with.

Chrome 77 is now available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.  For years, Google’s primary mission where the web is concerned has been to increase the quality of the user experience and the company keeps finding new ways to do just that.

Their latest offering, available in Chrome 77, will allow you to send web content to any other device you own that you use Chrome on.

Here’s how it works:

Let’s say you’re on your phone and you run across an article that deserves more time and attention, so it is probably something you’d like to revisit on your PC.  Easily done.  Just “send the web page” in question to any device on your device list drop down, and you’re all set.  You’ll be able to pick up reading the article in question where you left off on the device you select.

If you’re using Chrome on iOS, you will need to have the app open for the new functionality to work, and you’ll need to accept the sent tab because the functionality isn’t quite as tightly meshed on iOS as it is on the other platforms.

It’s a small change, but a significant one that enhances the overall user experience.  The days of browsing the web on a single device are long gone. Chrome plays a major role in the Windows, Android, and Apple product ecosystems. It also has the ability to fly seamlessly from one type of device to another (even devices on entirely different ecosystems) and browse your preferred content seamlessly is compelling.  Kudos to Google for the recent enhancement.  We can hardly wait to see what else the future holds.

 

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