Android browser could be too dangerous to use

According to a security researcher who made a presentation at a hacker's conference in Washington D.C. over the weekend, there is a gaping hole in the security of the Android's web browser big enough for a hacker to gain entry to your device. In a letter to Forbes magazine, a Google spokesman says that the problem is due to some code written by software company PacketVideo in their Core multimedia application framework which is the multimedia subsystem on the Android's browser. The researcher passed on this news to Google and the company responded in Forbes magazine by stating that a patch would be issued "as soon as it becomes available." Sources say that a patch has been ready since February 7th but has not been released by Google. The expert goes on to say that he would recommend that the Android browser not be used until the patch is sent out. If you must use the browser, he suggests surfing on sites that you trust and only over the T-Mobile network. Scary stuff. Yet, the Forbes article says that thanks to  "sandboxing" architecture, applications on the Android OS cannot access the core functions of the phone, making the browser safer than the software on other cellphones. This means that any hacker could only hack information on the browser and could not get into the phonebook or contacts list. Still, those of you with an Android device might start thinking twice about what sites they visit and the applications they use on their web browser until the patch is finally made public.

source: Forbes