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If you are one of the million Android phone users in India then there is a major security warning from the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) which needs to be taken seriously. The high severity warning from the security agency is not only a concern for one but multiple Android versions, including the older ones. The post was issued earlier this month.

The warning details that the vulnerability could allow attackers into your phones who can steal information or even take control of the device. “Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Android which could be exploited by an attacker to obtain sensitive information, gain elevated privileges and cause denial of service on the targeted system,” CERT-In explains in its post.

There are multiple Android versions affected by the vulnerability, but thankfully, Google still offers security support for all the versions. The CERT-In mentions that Android versions 10, 11, 12, 12L and even 13 are vulnerable to the issue and users are told to update the software of their phones right away. These are some of the most popular Android versions in the market, and in India, where Android is used by over 95 percent of smartphone users, which means the security risk is relevant for millions in the country.

The agency says that if any hacker gets to control of these affected devices, they can:

– Retrieve personal details like password, photos and payment data

– Full control of the device

– Able to install malicious apps

The agency seems to have alerted Google about the issue, and the company has worked with the Android security team for a solution. It has issued an Android Security Bulletin for August 2023 which gives more details. You can update to the latest available version of Android on your phone using these steps:

– Go to Settings on Android phone

– Scroll down to Software update

– Check for updates

– Install if a pop-up box comes to the screen

– Restart the device to secure your phone