Beware! The government has issued a serious warning to millions of Android users; stay safe here...

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has issued a high-severity advisory (CIVN-2025-0293) regarding several security vulnerabilities discovered in the Google Android operating system. These vulnerabilities could allow attackers to gain administrative access or run arbitrary code on the device, posing a serious threat to user data and system stability. If you're an Android user, read this warning carefully to protect yourself from cyberattacks.

Which Android devices are affected?

According to CERT-In, these vulnerabilities affect Android versions 13, 14, 15, and 16. This means that almost all modern Android smartphones are vulnerable. This includes brands like Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Realme, Motorola, Vivo, Oppo, and Google Pixel.

These security vulnerabilities relate to hardware and software components developed by companies like Qualcomm, MediaTek, NVIDIA, Broadcom, and UNISOC, which power most Android phones, tablets, and wearables. CERT-In stated that these flaws relate to vendor-specific components listed in Google's November 2025 Android Security Bulletin.

If these vulnerabilities are exploited, hackers could gain administrative access to the device, allowing them to install malware, steal personal data, or even crash the device.

Potential Threats and Impact:

CERT-In has classified this issue as high-risk and warned that these flaws could allow unauthorized users to access sensitive information, banking details, cloud accounts, or take control of the entire system. Devices that do not have the latest security patches installed are most vulnerable to attacks. This could affect not only smartphones, but also Smart TVs and IoT devices.

How to stay safe?

CERT-In has advised users to install a new security patch for their devices as soon as it is released. The Google Android Security Bulletin (November 2025) details all these bugs. Additionally, users are advised to take the following precautions:

Do not download apps from third-party or unknown sources.

Keep automatic system and app updates turned on.

Use Google Play Protect to detect potential threats.

Avoid clicking on suspicious links or email attachments.

CERT-In has also clarified that Google and smartphone companies are already working on this, and security patch updates will be released in the coming weeks.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Dainik Jagran. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.