What is Stagefright?
Last month, a security bug was uncovered that affects smartphones using the Android mobile operating system. This vulnerability can be triggered without any user interaction or simply by opening a Multimedia messaging Service (MMS) text leading to the device to be compromised.
To check if your Android device is vulnerable to the bug, you can download Stagefright Detector App released by Zimperium, a mobile security company.
What happens to customers affected by Stagefright?
The bug affects a part of the Android operating system that lets a device display media content. A malicious media file potentially pushed to an affected Android device can compromise your device’s security by letting an attacker read or delete data and even activate device’s camera and microphone without user’s knowledge.
What is Public Mobile doing to protect customers?
Protecting our customers’ information is our top priority. Public Mobile has engaged Google and device manufacturers to ensure we are on top of any developments. Manufacturers are currently working on software updates to repair this vulnerability which will be pushed to customers as soon as it’s available.
How to protect yourself in the interim:
At this time the extent of this vulnerability is unclear. As a precaution customers can be proactive in the interim and help reduce risk by follow the suggestions below:
- Disable the automatic download of MMS messages on your Android device
- Avoid opening text or MMS messages from unknown individuals
- Update your operating system once a patch is available (we will let you on the Community when we have more information)
Just so you know, by disabling "auto-retrieve MMS," you're not also disabling the ability to receive them. You can still download MMS on a per message basis from your most trusted contacts and sources.
How to disable the automatic download of MMS messages on your Android device:
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If this is your messaging app…
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Then follow these steps on your phone…
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Google Hangouts
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1. Navigate to Account > Settings > SMS
2. Uncheck Auto-Retrieve MMS
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Google Messenger (Nexus & Motorola Devices)
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1. Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the screen
2. Navigate to Settings > Advanced
3. Uncheck Auto –Retrieve
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Samsung Galaxy S6 SMS application
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1. In the messages app, navigate to More > Settings > More Settings > Multimedia messages
2. Uncheck Auto-Retrieve
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Alcatel, LG, Sony and HTC SMS app
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1. In the messages app, tap the three dots in the top right corner of the screen or the Menu key
2. Navigate to Settings > Multimedia messages
3. Uncheck Auto-Retrieve
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OEM - Model - Patch Target Release:
- HTC - One M9 - August 14
- LG - Nexus 5 - August 7
- LG - Nexus 4 - August 7
- Samsung - Galaxy S5 - August 7
- Samsung - Galaxy S5 Active - August 7
- Samsung - Galaxy Grand Prime - August 21
- Samsung - Galaxy S6 - August 2
- Samsung - Galaxy S6 Edge - August 2
- Samsung - Galaxy S4 - August 28
- Samsung - Galaxy Note 4 - August 11
- Samsung - Galaxy Core - September 4
