Google is set to launch Android 5.0, aka Jelly Bean, this fall. But do we even need it? While Google has made some steps in securing its Play branded marketplace, and offered a few security updates to the operating system, it is a fact that the most targeted Android platform is still 2.x. Why is that? There are several reasons, not the least of which is a lack of security patches provided to previously deployed operating system versions.

I really like the new app by OMGPOP called Draw Something. I play this game with my friends possibly a little too much. Draw Something has attracted more than 50 million downloads, and was just acquired by Zynga for $200 million dollars. It was surprising the other day when I noticed an advertisement at the bottom of the screen for a battery optimizer app. In fact it even told me two upgrades were available!

While Google is obviously trying to create a safer environment in regard to the Android operating system, some of these changes are leaving me a bit confused. I recently discovered some interesting behavior in regard to the default email client in 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

It seems that if you try to download or open a zip file attachment from within the email client, Google warns of the possibility of malware:

It’s that time of year again, time to fill out your taxes and pay your part. We’ve seen more than a few examples of Tax and IRS related spam. Yesterday I received mail with an interesting approach:

Last week researchers found vulnerabilities in the Google Wallet payment system. The first vulnerability was found by Zvelo, which required root access. Rooting devices has become just short of trivial at this point with the availability of “one-click root” applications for most platforms. The vulnerability was leveraged to display the current PIN number. The very next day a new vulnerability was discovered in how application data is handled in the Wallet app. In this case no root access is needed, as thesmartphonechamp demonstrated , this is simply a flaw in how the application works. Assuming a Google Prepaid card has been set up, a user can navigate to the application management interface, and delete application data for Google Wallet. On return to the app’s interface, the user is then prompted to set up a new PIN. The flaw is that the Google Prepaid card data persists. After establishing a new PIN number, the attacker is free to use the prepaid card as though it was their own.

Many of the apps we enjoy are free. Well, to call them free is a bit misleading. You pay for the apps by looking at advertisements. This is a platform we should all recognize from the sidebar of Facebook, or Google, or almost any service that doesn’t charge a premium to use it. Advertising has paved the way for many services to gather a huge audience audience and still profit.

On Android and in many cases iOS, the advertisers have gotten very aggressive. They now collect all kinds of data through multiple forms of advertising. I’d like to take a look now at what you can expect.

There’s been a lot of talk about a piece of software installed on many mobile devices called Carrier IQ. The intended purpose of the software according to the manufacturer is to collect metrics to improve many functions of the device on which it’s installed. The uproar has been that this software has access to so much private user data.

I’m often asked about the real danger of Android malware. This is a difficult question as it has many factors to consider, such as your location, your device, how many apps you install, and how reckless you are with the apps that you choose.

There are two common factions often at odds with each other. There is one side of the argument that states that the threat to Android is overblown, and that because the number of malicious samples discovered so far is so small in comparison with Windows malware, it’s insignificant. In fact when a company discloses their findings and they show any type of marked growth in this sector, they’re often accused of scaremongering to generate sales.

A while back I blogged about “offerwalls” that were collecting leaked user data. But now it seems that not only users are under attack. Recently while browsing Reddit, I found the account of a popular app developer who claims that another developer on the Android Market had stolen his app, added ad spam code to it, and uploaded it under his own account with the same name. After some research I discovered that this was, in fact, the case

Google has recently announced the forthcoming availability of Ice Cream Sandwich, Android 4.0. In such a short time, Android has seemingly come so far. I’d like to stop and take a look at the security improvements and additions featured in this release.