Will Verizon release a patch for the recently announced vulnerability of Android phones to hacking via text?

[Tidbits]

No... It's the OS level. Doesn't matter what message app you use. There is no safe app. What you can do is just disable Auto-retrieve and wait for the manufacturer(in your case Samsung) to issue a fix.

[derrydavis]

Was not aware of those two situations. Good to know. And they shouldn't block a release of critical security patches.

[ggnmg3703]

I totally agree and is what I (and many others on separate threads) have indicated, but it seems that we are always told we are wrong.  I am happy to see that you agree that the carrier can/does touch some code.  Yes, it is rare but they do touch some aspects of the code on Android phones....or, at least they have a say.  I do not have to worry about being exploited to this because I am no longer an Android user.    I just hope one day this argument will just disappear...since it is really pointless.

[derrydavis]

Latest news:

Google promises to fix Nexus devices starting next week.

CyanogenMod has already started issuing patches

Motorola forums has this information. Some devices have been patched with Lollipop updates.

HTC began rolling into projects in early July. All projects going forward contain the required fix. per NPR

Samsung: "Google notified us about the issue, and we are working to roll out the software update as soon as possible. Also from NPR.

T-Mobile: "These kinds of security fixes are usually released by our third-party device partners, so we're working with them to ensure those security updates have been deployed."

Also from NPR.

A point of emphasis is that this is not a Messages/Hangouts/MMS bug. Turn off auto retrevial of mms messages in your texting application. Tidbits has provided instructions in this thread on how to disable this feature.

Additional information to come out at next month's Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, where he's scheduled to deliver a talk titled Stagefright: Scary Code in the Heart of Android.

-D

[derrydavis]

Also, don't retrieve messages from texts that you don't know who they came from. Practice safe texting and delete the message if you don't know the sender.

[SilentBobNJ]

Latest information I received from Verizon Tech Support via a chat session: In Settings, go to Sound and Notification, select Application Notifications, then in each Messaging app, select Block Notifications. This should, repeat SHOULD prevent messages exploiting the Stagefright vulnerability from auto-opening when they hit your phone and launching an attack. You will still get messages, but will have to check the app periodically for new ones and manually open each one. Inconvenient but not terrible.

Already did this to my phones. Hope it works.

[derrydavis]

That makes sense. Sounds close to the nuclear option ( I suppose uninstalling all sms apps would be nuclear ), sms is an important app for many people. Any word on a patch? I don't see everyone taking this step, at least for very long. Some of my family members live by sms.

[Tidbits]

Actually that doesn't. It will autodownload and as soon as you open that specific application it will still autorun. Your best bet is to turn off auto-retrieve so nothing is downloaded unless the user purposefully tap on that download button.

[jrdepriest]

I just spoke to Tech Support and the line was that they are definitely working on something, but they do not have an ETA and that any updates will be on the Verizon Wireless front page as soon as they are ready.

I also submitted a official Network Security Incident which included a half dozen links to sites with information about the vulnerabilities.

[authentic1]

Are we discussing the galaxy 6 edge vulnerability announced in the beginning of July, or a deeper can of worms affecting all androids?