{"id":38553,"date":"2014-10-17T09:10:56","date_gmt":"2014-10-17T16:10:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=38553"},"modified":"2025-08-07T21:23:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T04:23:08","slug":"cyanogenmod-zero-day-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/cyanogenmod-zero-day-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"Android’s CyanogenMod Vulnerable to Zero-Day Threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you installed CyanogenMod on your Android device? If yes, you\u2019re likely vulnerable to a newly discovered zero-day threat<\/a> (an attack that takes advantage of a previously unknown vulnerability). If you have no idea what CyanogenMod is\u2014don\u2019t worry, chances are your device is secure.<\/p>\n

At the\u00a0Ruxcon\u00a0Security Conference in Australia last week, a security researcher presented findings that demonstrated how CyanogenMod, an open source operating system on Android, may be vulnerable to Man-in-the-Middle<\/a> (MITM) attacks. This type of attack occurs when an attacker uses malware<\/a> or another malicious strategy to intercept the information you send across the Web. Picture a childhood game of \u201cmonkey in the middle,\u201d with the monkey being the bad guy and the ball being your data. In a MITM attack, the monkey always wins.<\/p>\n

So what happened?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The researcher who discovered this vulnerability is claiming that reused code is to blame. He has said that developers at CyanogenMod copied and pasted code that was discovered to have SSL vulnerabilities back in 2012. This isn\u2019t the first time that the convenient reuse of code has had negative consequences for your security. In fact, according to Computer World<\/a>, code reuse consistently tops the list of biggest cybersecurity threats.<\/p>\n

Installed on more than 12 million devices worldwide, this vulnerability on CyanogenMod is no small threat. Luckily, it appears easily fixable\u2014once it\u2019s actually acknowledged and addressed by the CyanogenMod team, that is. Until then, if you have CyanogenMod installed on your device, you\u2019d be wise to uninstall it as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

MITM attacks are a convenient way for hackers to snatch your data out of thin air. Here are some simple tips to avoid that from happening:<\/p>\n