Bluebox Security has released a free app designed to help Android users check if their device has been patched for the recently-disclosed “master key vulnerability” related to how Android verifies the digital signatures of applications.
“The Bluebox Security Scanner app produced by our research team allows you to directly check if your Android device has been patched for this vulnerability without the hassle of having to contact the device manufacturer or mobile carrier,” Bluebox CTO Jeff Forristal noted in a blog post.
The flaw, as discussed here in a podcast with Bluebox co-founder Adam Ely on Tuesday, can be used to turn legitimate applications in Trojans, and has been present since at least Android 1.6.
Shortly after the vulnerability was disclosed, Proof-of-concept code for exploiting the vulnerability was found on the Internet.
The app is available for free at both Google Play, Amazon AppStore for Android and GetJar.
“The scanner will save you significant time and keep you from having to do the ‘leg work’ to figure out if your device has been safely patched,” Forristal, added. “If your device has not been patched, it will provide you with the information you need to ask your device manufacturer when a fix will be available.”
Bluebox is expected describe the vulnerability in detail (full disclosure) at the upcoming Black Hat conference in Las Vegas.
Google, who says it has no evidence that the vulnerability has exploited maliciously, has pushed out a patch for Android to fix the vulnerability, and Google Play scans for the issue. Some of Google’s OEM partners, such as Samsung, are already shipping a fix to their Android devices, Google told SecurityWeek.
Related Podcast: Bluebox’s Adam Ely Discusses Android Master Key Vulnerability
