Essential is pushing out a new update but sadly it is not the stable update for Android 8.0 Oreo. We know most people are expecting that update but this new one is pretty important too.
The new update (build NMJ88C) not only brings January’s security patch but also fixes the latest security flaws – Spectre and Meltdown. If you have been following the news lately, you must have come across those two words.
Both are the names of two security flaws found within computer processors which affect nearly all devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. It is also said to affect cloud computing systems.
Meltdown can grant an attacker access to read kernel memory and affects processors made by Intel and Qualcomm and a certain type of ARM chip.
Spectre on the other hand may grant attackers access to private data by tricking error-free applications into giving it up. It is harder to exploit but also harder to fix. It affects processors from Qualcomm, Intel, ARM, and AMD.
READ MORE: Essential To Focus On Reparability For Its Next-Generation Smartphone
Essential is one of the first phone manufacturers to fix the flaws. We hope other manufacturers follow suit in the coming days. However, there is a high-chance that smaller companies won’t release a patch and even bigger companies won’t release a patch for all their devices.
In a response to when the stable Oreo update will be available, Essential says they are getting close to the full release.
(Source)
