2 out of 3 Android phones in danger because of Apple and an outdated codec

Apple is to blame for the latest big problem with Android phones. A vulnerability has been affected millions of Android phones around the world. According to figures from Checkpoint Research , 2 out of 3 smartphones had this vulnerability . Why is it Apple’s fault? An audio codec from the company itself has gone years without being updated and has led to major security breaches.

The Apple codec that has endangered almost all Android

Apple’s ALAC codec has been in circulation for many years being used by different companies. Qualcomm and MediaTek have been using it to improve the audio of the devices.

This codec, which became open source in 2011 , is now known to have had multiple security holes . The cybersecurity company in charge of discovering the problem has reported that this codec has not been updated since 2011.

During all these years it has dragged vulnerabilities and security problems in a large part of Android mobiles. It is very likely that one of your mobiles has been affected by this vulnerability.

Qualcomm and MediaTek have already put a solution

In December 2021, both companies put a solution after learning of the problem. Two security patches released globally closed the security gaps. This means that now all devices with these chips should be isolated from the security flaw.

All this mess lets us know that almost all Android phones on the planet have been affected by this vulnerability for years without anyone, except hackers, noticing.