A 'master key' that could give hackers complete access to mobile phones and tablets running Google's Android software (logo pictured) has been revealed A ‘master key’ that could give hackers complete access to mobile phones and tablets running Google’s Android software has been revealed. The bug could allow hackers to hijack phones, allowing them to steal data, listen in to calls or send junk email and text messages. Researchers say the loophole has been present since 2009, and claim around 900 million devices are at risk. Jeff Forristal of Bluebox, the firm which uncovered the key, said the implications of the discovery were ‘huge’.
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A bug that has been present since 2009 allows hackers to listen in to calls and send junk emails from Android devices
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One research firm claims over 900 million Android devices are at risk from the bug that takes advantage of the way the operating system handles cryptographic verification of apps installed on phones and tablets
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Samsung Galaxy S4 handsets have a fix, but Google's Nexus phones remain at risk
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There is no evidence that the flaw has been exploited yet
@placeholder uses the cryptographic signature as a way to check that an app or program is legitimate and to ensure it has not been tampered with.