Google fixed two actively exploited Android zero-day flaws as part of its November security updates, addressing a total of 51 vulnerabilities: CVE-2024-43047, a flaw affecting Qualcomm chipsets, and CVE-2024-43093, a vulnerability in the Google Play framework.
“There are indications that the following may be under limited, targeted exploitation,” says Google’s advisory.
Qualcomm patched CVE-2024-43047 – a use-after-free vulnerability in the Digital Signal Processor (DSP) service that could be exploited to escalate privileges on targeted devices – in October 2024, and urged original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to deploy the patches as soon as possible.
CVE-2024-43093 is also a high-severity elevation of privilege flaw,that allows privilege escalation and has been fixed by restricting access to “Android/data,” “Android/obb,” and “Android/sandbox” directories and their sub-directories. This time impacting the Android Framework component and Google Play system updates, specifically in the Documents UI.
While Google did not share any details on how the vulnerabilities were exploited, as researchers at Amnesty International discovered CVE-2024-43047, it could indicate that the flaw was used in targeted spyware attacks.
Propagating fixes in the Android ecosystem
Google issues two patch levels each month, in this case, November 1 (2024-11-01 Patch Level) and November 5 (2024-11-05 Patch Level).
The first level addresses core Android vulnerabilities, with 17 issues this time, while the second patch level encompasses those plus vendor-specific fixes (Qualcomm, MediaTek, etc.), counting an additional 34 fixes this month.
To apply the latest update, head toSettings>System>Software updates>System update.Alternatively, go toSettings>Security & privacy>System & updates>Security update. A restart will be required to apply the update.
Android 11and olderare no longer supported but may receive security updates to critical issues for actively exploited flaws through Google Play system updates, though that’s not guaranteed.
The best course of action for devices still running those older releases should be either to replace them with newer models or use a third-party Android distribution that incorporates the latest security fixes.