The latest update of 2021 is rolling out today with the Android 12 December security patch for the Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro.
There are 17 issues resolved in the Android 12 December patch dated 2021-12-01 and 32 for 2021-12-05. Vulnerabilities range from high to critical, with the most severe relating to the media framework and a remote attacker possibly executing arbitrary code through a crafted file.
The dedicated bulletin for Google devices lists 87 security fixes and nearly 100 functional updates.
In the most recent Android Security & Privacy Year in Review, Google notes that “no critical security vulnerabilities affecting the Android platform were publicly disclosed without a security update or mitigation available for Android devices.” Additionally, there was an 84% year-over-year jump in security patches during Q4 2018 compared to the prior year.
Besides the December Feature Drop, this update widely rolls out improvements to the Pixel 6’s under-display fingerprint sensor that were first introduced last month in the US and Japan. There is no update for the Pixel 3/XL this month, with the next release coming sometime in the first quarter of 2022.
The Android 12 December security patch will be available for Pixel 6 next week.
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