Rich Stroffolino


GPU Driver Exploit On Flagship Android Devices

Driver exploits like this make me hesitant to move back to Android. Given, this seems like a very limited exploit. But this is a situation where researchers know a flaw is being exploited. They released a patch before going public with it. But as a users, I have no way to apply it until it goes through an OEM. Pixel devices and Chromebooks are already patched, but lots of popular phones from big OEMs are still waiting:

Devices believed to use the affected chips include the Google Pixel 7, Samsung S20 and S21, Motorola Edge 40, OnePlus Nord 2, Asus ROG Phone 6, Redmi Note 11, 12, Honor 70 Pro, RealMe GT, Xiaomi 12 Pro, Oppo Find X5 Pro, and Reno 8 Pro and some phones from Mediatek.

Again, I’m not saying it is a trivial process to apply these driver updates. But as a consumer, I don’t care, I want my device to get the latest security updates. The current Android ecosystem is getting better at shortening this window, but there’s still a big gap.