CERT-In is certain some Android users who search the web on Bing could face cyber security threats or virus attacks. After telling folks to ensure browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are updated on their PC, CERT-In (or Computer Emergency Response Team-India) is now urging people to check if they’re using the latest version of Microsoft’s search engine application for Android.
The organization has classified it as a ‘medium’ level malfunction which could occur in mobile devices running Bing 4.2.0 or older versions of the application. Apart for updating the app whenever a refresh is issued through Google Play Store, users are also advised to install anti-virus on their smartphone.
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Coming back to the Cert-In warning, an arbitrary code execution vulnerability has been discovered in Bing for Android. It could permit hackers to remotely install a harmful Android application package file (APK) on your device and then mess with it in dangerous ways.
For example, the malware installed in the victim’s smartphone could steal credit card information, get the user to enter personal information on a fake but secure-looking web page they’ve been tricked into visiting and so on.
The Economic Times (via PTI) post about this quotes CERT as noting ‘a flaw has been reported in Microsoft Bing for Android which could trigger while handling DNS (domain name system) responses on an insecure network.’