Major VOIP Security Flaws Discovered in Android
Researchers say they discovered eight security flaws in the way Android handles voice calls through the Internet. Unlike most such bugs which involve specific apps, these problems were with Android itself.
The good news is that the researchers reported all of the bugs to Google while carrying out the project and most have now been fixed. However, it does raise concerns about the development and design of the system itself. (Source: github.io)
The researchers looked at the three latest Android versions (7, 8 and 9), specifically addressing the components that allow Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). That's where apps and services such as Skype use the phone's voice call hardware such as microphone and speaker, but transmit the data over the Internet rather than voice networks. This is especially convenient for users on a metered voice or data plan, and when free WiFi is available.