Security threat for Google

A MAJOR security hole has been discovered in Google’s Android operating system for smartphones which can allow attackers gain access to users’ personal information without their permission.

The flaw, which was discovered by three research assistants at Ulm University in Germany, affects 97% of Android users.

The researchers found that users of Android devices running versions 2.3.3 and below could be susceptible to attack when they are connected to unencrypted wi-fi networks.

Anyone else on that network could gain access to, modify or delete Android users’ calendars, photos and contacts.

“It is quite easy,” the researchers said: “The implications of this vulnerability reach from disclosure to loss of personal information.”

A spokesman for Google said the company is aware of this issue, and a fix is already in place for the calendar and contacts applications in the latest versions of Android, codenamed Gingerbread and Honeycomb. A solution is also in the works for Google’s Picasa photo sharing service, he said.

Only about 3% of Android users have the latest versions of the operating system, but Google said Android users running older versions will get a fix “in the next few days”.