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Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

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Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#21
post #12
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No but if their Pixel 2 is no longer receiving security updates then figuring out a replacement plan (even if you don’t plan to do it yet) seems like a good idea.

Honestly, unless it's a remote, worm-grade exploit or you're a high value target, you can probably just stop caring about software updates. Your threat model might be different but I don't get out of bed for anything but RCE personally, let alone spend a penny.

I guess, but it sure is nice that on Apple hardware you generally don’t need to worry about doing this calculus because they deliver updates in a timely manner to even five year old devices.

It bums me out that them doing this hasn’t been effective in shaming everyone else into following suit.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#22

Well, this was an awkward way to realise my phone hasn't been receiving security updates for years. Apparently Google quietly dropped support for it? The phone is otherwise in excellent condition. Any recommendations for a good third party OS that still supports Pixel 2?

I've been a (happy) Lineage OS user since 2013, and Pixel 2 is still supported by them, so you can check them out. But note that the security updates provided by Lineage OS only pertain to the Android part, not the modem part. This isn't something that a third party OS vendor can fix, as the modem/firmware updates are supplied by the device vendor. And even those are reliant on their suppliers, so ultimately unless they have the negotion power of a multi trillion dollar company (not every vendor has that), they don't have the power to support devices for a long time either (see Fairphone's struggles with qualcomm for example).

For Lineage OS, they maintain the kernels released by the vendors and backport patches to them. But this often means that the backports only address the publicized CVEs and might gloss over a lot of changes between kernel versions that might not have had famous bugfixes. A lot of patches don't end up in a kernel, and often while the version number reads of that of a modern kernel, only a small percentage of the patches in that kernel release was applied compared to the upstream kernel. For this it's important to note that the kernel doesn't have a clean separation between "bugfix" and "CVE fix" for patches, this is already a problem that their officially maintained LTS versions have.

From the security point of view you are definitely better off than staying on something that's unpatched, but I have to mirror what parker_mountain is saying. It's way _way_ better to just get an iPhone as that also gives you modem security updates for half a decade. I am really unhappy about the lack of freedom these devices give me, but I have switched to an SE one year ago. It's just such an incredibly good TCO for really good security.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#23
post #14

I am not sure I understand this. I have a S22 Galaxy Ultra. I do not see anywhere in my settings to turn on or off wifi-calling. Did we already get an update disabling this? I have googled this for about 10-15 minutes now and none of the results match anything to do with my screen settings.

I have a Pixel 7, when I open settings and search for wifi calling it comes up easy with an on/off switch.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#24
post #12
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No but if their Pixel 2 is no longer receiving security updates then figuring out a replacement plan (even if you don’t plan to do it yet) seems like a good idea.

Honestly, unless it's a remote, worm-grade exploit or you're a high value target, you can probably just stop caring about software updates. Your threat model might be different but I don't get out of bed for anything but RCE personally, let alone spend a penny.

Well, I use a web browser on the phone. Chrome et al. are still receiving updates for my phone, but I'm guessing they use some system components that are not receiving updates? So my main worry is something like an ad network loading an exploit. You don't need to be a high value target to get caught in an extremely wide net like that.

(Yes, I know: get a better ad blocker, etc. — I'd rather have fewer weak links, though, and a lack of basic OS updates is a pretty big weak link.)

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#25
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That wasn't what they asked though.

Maybe, but they were looking for a phone that'll last a long time, and I hope my answer makes them reconsider. The Android OS-updates situation is seriously dire, and it seems very difficult for Google to fix.

>and I hope my answer makes them reconsider.

but.. their old phone is still operating fine, it isn't even affected by the Samsung modem exploit, and best-of-all the pixel 2 is well supported by many third-party Android roms.

Parent literally has one of the best supported older phones available for third party OS installation (which, incidentally, is what parent was asking about..)

so, in the interest of e-waste/recycling/keeping old things going I hope they reconsider the value of their already-owned hardware and how it may still continue to serve them.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#26
post #12
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No but if their Pixel 2 is no longer receiving security updates then figuring out a replacement plan (even if you don’t plan to do it yet) seems like a good idea.

Honestly, unless it's a remote, worm-grade exploit or you're a high value target, you can probably just stop caring about software updates. Your threat model might be different but I don't get out of bed for anything but RCE personally, let alone spend a penny.

With a cursory search I found CVE-2021-0316. This one's just for bluetooth, but it's an RCE with no user interaction discovered in 2021. Pixel 2 had its last security patch in November 2020.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#27
post #12
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No but if their Pixel 2 is no longer receiving security updates then figuring out a replacement plan (even if you don’t plan to do it yet) seems like a good idea.

Honestly, unless it's a remote, worm-grade exploit or you're a high value target, you can probably just stop caring about software updates. Your threat model might be different but I don't get out of bed for anything but RCE personally, let alone spend a penny.

A phone (or any kind of internet-connected computer) that's been completely unsupported for years will presumably be low-hanging fruit for even the cheapest and crustiest of exploit kits.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#28
post #18

Well, this was an awkward way to realise my phone hasn't been receiving security updates for years. Apparently Google quietly dropped support for it? The phone is otherwise in excellent condition. Any recommendations for a good third party OS that still supports Pixel 2?

Lineage OS https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/walleye/ looks promising.

Using LineageOS on a Pixel 3. Zero complaints.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#29

Well, this was an awkward way to realise my phone hasn't been receiving security updates for years. Apparently Google quietly dropped support for it? The phone is otherwise in excellent condition. Any recommendations for a good third party OS that still supports Pixel 2?

You could try to put Graphene on your phone. There is a version for your phone, but they are not updating it anymore. However I think that it is a good option for a more secure, private, operating system. https://grapheneos.org/faq#device-support
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