Security vulnerabilities in AirDroid allow access to private data and sending of malicious files

For at least the past six months, a popular remote management app available in the official Google Play Store has opened tens of millions of Android users to code-execution and data-theft attacks when they use unsecured networks, researchers said Thursday.

AirDroid, which has been downloaded 10 million to 50 million times from the official Google Play Store, uses a static and easily detectable encryption key when transmitting update files and sensitive user data, according to a blog post published by security firm Zimperium. Attackers who are on the same network can exploit the weakness to push fraudulent updates or view potentially sensitive user information, including the international mobile equipment identity and international mobile subscriber identity designations that are unique to each phone.

"A malicious party on the same network as the victim can leverage this vulnerability to remotely gain full control of their device," Simone Margaritelli, principal security researcher at Zimperium's zLabs, told Ars. "Moreover, the attacker will be able to see the user's sensitive information such as the IMEI, IMSI, and so forth. As soon as the update, or fake update, is installed the software automatically launches the updated [Android app file] without ever verifying who built it."

Here's a video showing a Zimperium-developed proof-of-concept attack exploiting the weakness:

The vulnerability, which Zimperium privately reported to AirDroid developers in May, remained present in AirDroid version 4.0, which was released in mid-November. On Wednesday, AirDroid developers released version 4.0.0.1, and that too remains vulnerable.