A few days ago a Google Pixel user reported the discovery of an error in his device that prevented him from calling the emergency number 911. Via Reddit, the user identified as KitchenPicture5849 posted a thread showing that every attempt to call this number inevitably led to a failure in the Pixel equipment.
As some users may already know, Google Pixel is a line of consumer electronic devices (mainly smartphones) from Google that run on the Chrome or Android operating system. Launched in 2013, this line has been gaining popularity at a steady pace.
After receiving the report, Google mentioned that the flaw was related to the Microsoft Teams app. A spokesperson for the company explained that devices running Android 10 or higher and with this app installed but not logged in could be affected.
Apparently, the flaw has to do with an unintentional interaction between the Android system and the Microsoft Teams app: “The problem is only present on a small number of devices with this application installed, in addition there must not be an active account for the error to be triggered; so far we have only received a report of failures in real scenarios,” the company spokesman added.
Google added that its security teams and those at Microsoft are already aware of the problem, so an update should be available shortly, either for the Microsoft Teams app or for the operating system.
While such a fix is ready, Google recommends Pixel users to uninstall the app provisionally, although they will still need to implement official patches to mitigate the risk of exploitation, as this is a temporary workaround: “We recommend users stay on top of any updates to the Microsoft Teams app, as well as make sure it’s applied as soon as it’s available,” concludes Google.
To learn more about information security risks, malware variants, vulnerabilities and information technologies, feel free to access the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) websites.
He is a cyber security and malware researcher. He studied Computer Science and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2006. He is actively working as an cyber security investigator. He also worked for different security companies. His everyday job includes researching about new cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in enterprise security implementation.