Expert Calls Android Vulnerable: Google Denies Link

Android operating system has been targeted time and again by experts, claiming it to be not secure enough. The latest announcement comes from the security expert, Riley Hassel.

In an interview, he said, he identified more than a dozen widely used Android applications that make the phone vulnerable to attack like phishing and hijacking.

"App developers frequently fail to follow security guidelines and write applications properly. Some apps expose themselves to outside contact. If these apps are vulnerable, then an attacker can remotely compromise that app and potentially the phone using something as simple as a text message,” he said.

Hassel declined to reveal those apps, saying that he fears hackers might exploit the vulnerabilities.

Hassel has reported the issues to Google, but Google spokesman Jay Nancarrow said that Android security experts discussed the research with Hassell and did not believe he had uncovered problems with Android.

A mobile security researcher familiar with Hassel and his colleagues work decided not to disclose their findings.

“When something can be used for exploitation and there is no way to fix it, it is very dangerous to go out publicly with that information," the researcher said. "When there is not a lot that people can do to protect themselves, disclosure is sometimes not the best policy," he added.