Republished on April 11, the latest Android security update has taken on urgent significance, as Google confirms active exploitation of critical vulnerabilities—with both Pixel and Samsung devices now receiving emergency patches.
For the third month in a row, Android devices are facing zero-day attacks. This time, Google warns that CVE-2024-53150 and CVE-2024-53197 are already being exploited. The first is a memory vulnerability in Android’s kernel, exposing data to local exfiltration. The second has reportedly been leveraged by forensic firm Cellebrite for extracting data from locked Android phones in Europe.
What sets this month apart is that Samsung has matched Pixel’s pace, including both critical April fixes in its latest security patch—after missing one exploited vulnerability in March. Google has confirmed that all supported Pixel devices running Android 15 have started receiving the April update, with a phased rollout continuing through the week.
Android security experts at GrapheneOS highlighted the risks, confirming that both vulnerabilities were actively used to breach locked devices and extract private data, including messages and photos.
Coinciding with these revelations, intelligence agencies from the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand have jointly issued warnings about two new spyware threats: MOONSHINE and BADBAZAAR. These malicious apps are being trojanized to disguise as legitimate, while hijacking user data, tracking location, and activating microphones and cameras.
The spyware targets include Uyghur, Tibetan, and Taiwanese communities, as well as civil society groups, allegedly by Chinese state-affiliated actors.
Meanwhile, Samsung has begun rolling out Android 15/One UI 7, which includes new protections against forensic exploits, just as Pixel’s April update also addresses a series of security and performance issues, including camera fixes and brightness glitches from March.
Users can check for the update by navigating to:
Settings → About Phone → Android Version → Security Update & Build Number.
Here are some key build numbers for April 2025:
Global Pixels:
- Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a: BP1A.250405.007
- Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a: BP1A.250405.007.B1
- Pixel 8, 8 Pro, 8a: BP1A.250405.007.B1
- Pixel 9 series: BP1A.250405.007
Carrier/Region Variants:
- Taiwan/EMEA: *.A1
- Verizon: *.D1
- Deutsche Telekom: *.C1
As cyber threats grow increasingly sophisticated, staying up to date with software patches remains critical for user safety.
