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Google

11 stories

GhostMap flaw can trap Android phones in a persistent boot loop

A vulnerability that Bitdefender calls GhostMap can force Android devices into a continuous boot loop with a specially crafted app. The app needs no permissions and only has to be installed on the device. GhostMap and the malformed APK Romanian cybersecurity company Bitdefender traced the flaw while examining an Android banking trojan that kept crashing its emulators when it tried to read an application resource. The company showed that a…

Saugata DattaNov 5, 20262 min read94

Cloud Computing

Google’s November Android update fixes zero-click RCE flaws

Google’s November 2026 Android security update addresses more than 200 vulnerabilities across the operating system, kernel, and hardware components. Published on November 2, the bulletin includes critical remote code execution flaws that require no user interaction, and devices with security patch level 2026-11-05 or later receive all applicable fixes. Android update flaws span Framework, System, kernel, and hardware The most serious Framework issue, CVE-2026-58868, could allow remote code execution without…

Saugata DattaNov 4, 20263 min read115

Cloud Computing

Google patches an Android flaw that can run code without user action

A critical Android flaw could let an attacker run code on a phone remotely without any user action, according to Google’s November security bulletin. The flaw is CVE-2026-58868, and Google says it affects Android 14 through 17. Security patch level 2026-11-01 or later includes the fix for CVE-2026-58868. Phone makers and carriers deliver that update on their own schedules, and Google says older versions such as Android 12 and 13…

Saugata DattaNov 4, 20264 min read114

Cloud Computing

Google cuts off the XCPE Android botnet and bars Videostrong devices

Google and industry partners have dismantled the XCPE botnet after linking it with more than 1.3 million Android TV streaming boxes. The company says the malware was built into devices made by Videostrong Technology Co and used to generate revenue through cybercrime. Google says the disruption also cut off command-and-control servers tied to more than a dozen related malware families, which affected at least 10 million additional compromised devices. Those…

Saugata DattaNov 3, 20263 min read151

Cloud Computing

Chrome 156 Patch Closes 52 Flaws, Including Four Critical Bugs

Google has pushed a new Chrome update that patches 52 security vulnerabilities across the browser, addressing issues that touch file handling, page rendering, JavaScript, graphics, and media processing. The Stable channel moves to version 156.0.8078.73/.74 for Windows and Mac and 156.0.8078.73 for Linux. According to Google’s release, the fixes include four critical vulnerabilities, 46 high-severity issues, and two medium-severity bugs. The company has not published exploit details or confirmed active…

Saugata DattaOct 28, 20263 min read224

Cloud Computing

Google’s privacy pivot: how Personal Intelligence could bring Gmail into ad targeting

Google’s recent tweak to its privacy policy has set off alarm bells for anyone who assumed their Gmail, Photos, or Drive data were strictly off-limits for ad personalization. What looked like a tidy firewall between core productivity apps and advertising now reads with language that opens the door to those services informing ad-related experiences — at least in certain circumstances. The change matters because Google already offers a way to…

Saugata DattaOct 24, 20264 min read277

Cloud Computing

Google’s Quick Share Gains Tap-to-Share Mode with Pixel 11

Alongside the Pixel 11 announcement, Google has upgraded Quick Share with a tap-to-share mode that makes transferring contacts, photos, videos and other items between Android devices near-instant. The company describes the feature as an “instant, two-way exchange”: bring two compatible Android phones close together and the devices complete the transfer with a simple tap. The update is rolling out now to many Pixel models and will expand to select Samsung…

Saugata DattaAug 12, 20263 min read393

Artificial Intelligence

Google’s Big Bet: Up to $40 Billion Headed to Anthropic

Google is preparing to invest a headline-grabbing sum in Anthropic — at least $10 billion, with the potential to rise to $40 billion if the startup meets certain performance milestones. The deal follows a recent $5 billion commitment from Amazon and collectively values Anthropic at roughly $350 billion. This funding round underscores how hyperscalers are using capital, cloud services, and specialized chips to forge strategic ties with AI startups that…

Saugata DattaApr 26, 20263 min read535

Artificial Intelligence

Google brings “Skills” to Chrome so Gemini prompts are instantly reusable

Chrome is getting another nudge toward becoming the home for Google’s AI toolbox. This spring Google introduced “Skills,” a way to save Gemini prompts inside the browser so common queries and workflows can be retriggered with a click. Rather than retyping or copy‑pasting a prompt each time you want Gemini to perform a task, Skills let you store and reuse those instructions across tabs and devices, speeding up repeatable tasks…

Saugata DattaApr 15, 20264 min read676

Cloud Computing

Google Says Q-Day Could Arrive by 2029 — Why the Race to Post‑Quantum Cryptography Just Got Real

Google has set a new, sharper deadline for what the industry calls “Q‑Day” — the moment when quantum computers will be powerful enough to break the public-key cryptography that underpins most of today’s secure communications. In a recent post, Google’s security and cryptography leads gave themselves until 2029 to be ready, and urged the rest of the world to accelerate adoption of post‑quantum cryptography (PQC). That deadline is notably sooner…

Saugata DattaMar 27, 20265 min read745

Cloud Computing

Google Completes $32 Billion Acquisition of Wiz

Google has finalized its acquisition of Wiz, the Israeli cloud and AI security company, in an all-cash transaction valued at $32 billion. The deal, announced as closed in March 2026, is the largest acquisition in Google’s history and represents a major move by Google Cloud to deepen its capabilities in cloud-native and AI security. Deal overview The acquisition brings the Wiz team into Google Cloud while keeping the Wiz brand…

Saugata DattaMar 12, 20263 min read900

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