Google Patches Critical MediaTek Rootkit Affecting Millions of Android Devices

Mar. 3, 2020

As it turns out, details of the rootkit have been available on XDA since April of last year, although, it is only now that Google has detailed it publicly. Despite MediaTek rolling out a patch within weeks of its discovery, thevulnerability is still being actively exploitedby hackers. Now MediaTek and Google are working together to patch the vulnerability for good and secure millions of devices affected by this critical security exploit.

According to coder and XDA Member,‘diplomatic’, the exploit works on “virtually all of MediaTek’s 64-bit chips”, including MT6735, MT6737, MT6738, MT6739, MT6750, MT6753, MT6755, MT6757, MT6758, MT6761, MT6762, MT6763, MT6765, MT6771, MT6779, MT6795, MT6797, MT6799, MT8163, MT8167, MT8173, MT8176, MT8183, MT6580, and MT6595. The exploit has since been confirmed toaffect around 100 different modelsfrom dozens of vendors, including Nokia, Sony, Huawei, Lava, Oppo and more.

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