On his wholly repaired Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 5 devices, cybersecurity researcher David Schütz unknowingly discovered a way to get around a locked screen. It makes it possible for anyone with physical access to the gadget to activate it.
An easy five-step procedure that would not take more than a few moments can circumvent the lock screen on an Android phone. However, Google repaired the security flaw in the most recent Android update that went live last week and has been exploitable for at least six months.
Surprising Discovery
Schütz claims he accidentally uncovered the problem after his Pixel 6 went out of battery. He made three mistakes when entering his PIN. Then he could unlock the SIM card using the PUK (Personal Unblocking Key) code. To his amazement, the smartphone only asked for a fingerprint scan after unlocking the SIM and choosing a new PIN instead of the lock screen password.
Heading straight to fingerprint unlock was out of the ordinary for Android smartphones, which constantly seek a lock screen password or pattern upon reboot for security purposes. The researcher kept testing, and when he duplicated the bug without restarting the device, he deduced that it was also feasible to skip the fingerprint confirmation and proceed directly to the home screen.
Effect of Security Flaw
This security flaw has a wide-ranging effect, impacting all Android devices operating versions 10, 11, 12, and 13 that have not been patched to the November 2022 level. The ability to physically reach a gadget is a strong requirement. However, the defect still has severe ramifications for those who are married to abusive persons are the targets of police investigations, own stolen property, etc.
Google received the vulnerability report from Schütz in June 2022, and while they accepted it and gave it the CVE ID CVE-2022-20465, they didn’t make a fix available until November 7, 2022. Google’s answer is to add a new option to every “dismiss” call that specifies the security technique, allowing the calls to reject specific categories of security screens rather than merely the one after it in the stack.
