New Android exploit only needs you to install an app to wreck your phone

TL;DR Bitdefender researchers discovered an Android vulnerability that can trigger an endless crash loop simply by installing a specially crafted APK, potentially leaving devices unusable. The flaw exploits how Android handles ZIP compression methods, repeatedly crashing the core system_server process. Recovering may require a factory reset or manually deleting the malicious file using ADB. No in-the-wild exploitation has been identified, but the public disclosure could make it easier for threat actors to develop an exploit. Even though Android is a relatively safe operating system, with several security measures in place , threat actors’ ingenuity still keeps finding ways to exploit weaknesses. We recently shared information about malware that can empty your bank accounts in secret , and now, researchers have found a separate Android flaw that could leave your phone outright unusable. Normally, malicious apps need to request permissions and execute code to attack your device. However, researchers at Bitdefender have discovered a new vulnerability dubbed GhostMap that triggers a crash loop simply by installing a specially crafted app.