Clarification on security updates. - Nexus 6P Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I know Nexus 6P won't receive Android P but I was wondering: will this mean a complete stop to security updates as soon as P is released or there's still some time with security updates guaranteed by Google?

Looks like the updates for the Nexus 6P will end with either the October or November monthly security updates. https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705?hl=en#nexus_devices

Are the Lineage builds available reasonably updated as far as security patches are concerned? Or would I be better off buying a new phone (something I'd avoid if possible, 6P is still doing all I bought it for)?

Related

No more security updates

Well, that's it guys & girls.
I bought this tablet new 6 days ago and today the big G issued their September security update, and there's no love for the N7 2013 :/
I wasn't expecting Nougat but their site did say updates until July next year I think. Oh well. It's still a great device.
I assume it's not possible/too much work for someone to take on creating security otas from other devices?
Wait a few days. They've supported everything else through the guaranteed time for them thus far. (Maybe they are going to surprise us and throw Nouget at us......I doubt it, but it was dead simple to port and mostly works)
^No if they stick to what they say we are done: https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705?hl=en
We are obviously over 3 years since release and are also over 18 months since it was removed from the store.
Going by that link we were lucky to get M as that was over 2 years.
Honestly it doesn't matter to me that Google stopped supporting the 2013 Nexus 7, even though it's three years old it still performs extremely well for it's aged hardware. I'd love to know whether or not the rumored 2016 Pixel tablet is an actual thing...
I see factory images for other devices containing the september 6 2016 security patches but not for the nexus 7 2013. So it looks like I will have to migrate to another rom in order to have my device secure.
martinknl said:
I see factory images for other devices containing the september 6 2016 security patches but not for the nexus 7 2013. So it looks like I will have to migrate to another rom in order to have my device secure.
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But they won't work for this device if they're for another device, right?
I wonder how difficult it would be to create N7 patches from patches released for, say, N6 etc?
martinknl said:
I see factory images for other devices containing the september 6 2016 security patches but not for the nexus 7 2013. So it looks like I will have to migrate to another rom in order to have my device secure.
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Don't worry, nobody is going to hack your lousy 90$ tablet.
Bingley said:
But they won't work for this device if they're for another device, right?
I wonder how difficult it would be to create N7 patches from patches released for, say, N6 etc?
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I am assuming that other nexus 7 2013 roms (AOSP/Cyanogenmod/etc) do incorporate the latest security patches. It is just google that has stopped creating and pushing images to our devices.
martinknl said:
I am assuming that other nexus 7 2013 roms (AOSP/Cyanogenmod/etc) do incorporate the latest security patches. It is just google that has stopped creating and pushing images to our devices.
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Correct
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA-Developers mobile app
Nexus 5 just received the October update. Since the N7 2013 was released at the same time, I'm hoping it'll get an update as well.
cm official nightly just updated to cm14 (nougat) today for flo. (2013 Wi-Fi)
https://download.cyanogenmod.org/?device=flo&type=nightly
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Labs

Quick question about the security update

I have now run across several 6p users who are part of the Android beta program who have not received the OTA security patch for September. I'm curious if this is just random or if there is a trend to be found here. So, if you are on the developer preview program, have you received your security patch yet?
locke340 said:
I have now run across several 6p users who are part of the Android beta program who have not received the OTA security patch for September. I'm curious if this is just random or if there is a trend to be found here. So, if you are on the developer preview program, have you received your security patch yet?
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Click to collapse
Seriously? First, Nougat OTA was only released a couple weeks ago, so I'd expect the earliest security patch to be October. Second, since there is all kinds of speculation about the full Nougat factory image not being released (hardware, software, something special when Google makes their Pixel announcement), they aren't going to get multiple OTA security releases ahead on their flagship device, for which they haven't even put out a full factory image yet.
It's a simple question, the September security patch did go live 2 days ago, so it is not a question of if it coming, it is a specific question about 6p users on the developer preview program. Not even a serious one, I'm just curious.
No update here
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Next Android Security Patch Release?

Although I've lost track of when exactly they were pushed out by Lenovorola, I seem to recall my MotoX PE getting a November, then February, security patch and the "latest" May 2016 was pushed around July 20th... If that pattern (pushing out every 3rd Google release ~ 10 weeks later) holds true, might we see the August patch pushed later this month? Or will any more 6.0 patches be skipped in light of the future 7.x upgrade (whenever that may be)?
One of the reasons why I'm sticking with CM. they are on Oct. 5th security patch while the normal stock ROM is far behind
Sent from my XT1575 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Greatness83 said:
One of the reasons why I'm sticking with CM. they are on Oct. 5th security patch while the normal stock ROM is far behind
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I hear you... One of the reasons I bought a Nexus 5X in June when the price dropped. But looking at my MotoX since then reminds me it's otherwise a better phone imho (VoLTE works fine for me on TMo).
Question: I assume you had to unlock your bootloader to root and run CM ? If so, can you relock in that state? I had to unroot and flash stock multiple times before I was finally able to relock... I could be completely wrong, but I would think the benefit of timely, monthly security updates is outweighed by an unlocked bootloader and root access?
According to a twitter reply from Moto Support, they ditched even the quarterly security update.
" We're implementing essential patches.As new security issues emerge, we will evaluate them and update your phone as needed.-Maya"
Evaluating, means they may or may not release security patches so do not hold your breath for an August updated. Yet, Moto Support on twitter was very quick to reply the first inquiry. I encourage everyone to contact them with questions @Moto_Support Let them know or demands!

No recent security update for Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016, SM-T580)?

After years of keeping an old tablet alive with Cyanogenmod, I needed a new tablet and decided to be content with a stock ROM this time. So I ordered a Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (SM-T580 XAR) after reading positive reviews of the hardware. I knew that there was little likelihood of a third-party ROM for the Exnyos processor but I assumed (perhaps naively) I would have a year or two of support/updates from Samsung.
So I was shocked upon booting the tablet to find that the most recent update is on the July 1 mad: !?!?) security patch from Google, meaning that this new SM-T580 is still vulnerable to several nasty Stagefright vulnerabilities. I kept pressing system update, thinking this must be a mistake, only to find that this supposedly new machine is already woefully out-of-date. Regular security updates should not only be a "bonus feature" for flagship devices; in my view, manufacturers have the responsibility to support all their new hardware with timely security updates. I knew that many manufacturers had poor support for Android, but I assumed (perhaps naively) that Samsung was different.
Is this typical of Samsung? From your experience, how often do non-flagship devices receive security updates?
I'm planning to return the tablet as defective unless there is hope of regular updates in the future.
One additional bit of information/question: The Galaxy Tab A SM-T550 (9.7", 2015, wifi) has received more regular updates than the the newer SM-T580 (10.1", 2016, wifi). Both U.S. models received an update in July, but the 2015 version received an additional update in September with the critical September security patches. So the older tablet has been getting more frequent updates?
madalu said:
After years of keeping an old tablet alive with Cyanogenmod, I needed a new tablet and decided to be content with a stock ROM this time. So I ordered a Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (SM-T580 XAR) after reading positive reviews of the hardware. I knew that there was little likelihood of a third-party ROM for the Exnyos processor but I assumed (perhaps naively) I would have a year or two of support/updates from Samsung.
So I was shocked upon booting the tablet to find that the most recent update is on the July 1 mad: !?!?) security patch from Google, meaning that this new SM-T580 is still vulnerable to several nasty Stagefright vulnerabilities. I kept pressing system update, thinking this must be a mistake, only to find that this supposedly new machine is already woefully out-of-date. Regular security updates should not only be a "bonus feature" for flagship devices; in my view, manufacturers have the responsibility to support all their new hardware with timely security updates. I knew that many manufacturers had poor support for Android, but I assumed (perhaps naively) that Samsung was different.
Is this typical of Samsung? From your experience, how often do non-flagship devices receive security updates?
I'm planning to return the tablet as defective unless there is hope of regular updates in the future.
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Click to collapse
I agree, I am also in the same situation, July 1. LG is the same, I got the G4 (2015) flagship which is also on July's patch. After the whole stagefright thing died down OEMs have pretty much shelved the whole monthly update promises, except for Google ofc.
Same here. I'm returning mine due lack of updates. That and the fact it weighs a ton! Hate to praise Apple but at least they patch their OS!
perky55 said:
Same here. I'm returning mine due lack of updates. That and the fact it weighs a ton! Hate to praise Apple but at least they patch their OS!
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Wow ok. The security updates (or lack of should I say) don't bother me too much, as long as the tablet gets nougat which it almost certainly will, I'm happy. To the average user the security updates meaning nothing, just make sure the unknown sources option is unchecked and you should be fine (also always install reputable apps/from Google Play).
ShinOrochiX said:
Wow ok. The security updates (or lack of should I say) don't bother me too much, as long as the tablet gets nougat which it almost certainly will, I'm happy. To the average user the security updates meaning nothing, just make sure the unknown sources option is unchecked and you should be fine (also always install reputable apps/from Google Play).
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Trouble is it's not just the apps, the apps pull down ads which can be compromised (check out this securityweek page) . If you use the browser you're at risk just as you would be on an unpatched PC. If you look at the release notes for the monthly security patches Google release they nearly always have half a dozen critical vulnerabilities. That means your device is at risk.
I just think it's unacceptable for a company like Samsung to leave their customers vulnerable and I won't support them for that reason.
perky55 said:
Trouble is it's not just the apps, the apps pull down ads which can be compromised (check out this securityweek page) . If you use the browser you're at risk just as you would be on an unpatched PC. If you look at the release notes for the monthly security patches Google release they nearly always have half a dozen critical vulnerabilities. That means your device is at risk.
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Click to collapse
In the case of this particular bug, one would be protected by disabling app installs from Unknown Sources; it still requires the user action of installing an apk. And this particular bug is a problem with Chrome, rather than the Android core. Unlike the vulnerabilities addressed in the monthly security patch, this one can be fixed via the play store.
The bigger danger comes from the mediaserver bugs - theoretically, a website could host a multimedia file that would cause the mediaserver to crash, thereby gaining the ability to execute code remotely. I have no idea how feasible this is or whether there are exploits for the recent mediaserver bugs in the wild, but that's why timely patches are important.
I simply don't understand why it is so hard for Samsung to apply these patches and rebuild the rom. Custom rom maintainers do it all the time -- how hard can it be for a company with the vast resources of Samsung? These aren't major overhauls of the code -- just minor fixes.
Yeah some of the vulnerabilities mentioned can be serious, and it is true, a company as large as Samsung really has no excuse not to deliver the patches, they previously pledged to keep devices patched-so much for that.
So I decided to keep the tablet and I am regretting it. We're in January and still no security patches...
perky55 said:
So I decided to keep the tablet and I am regretting it. We're in January and still no security patches...
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I sent mine back because of the numerous issues I had, still awaiting my refund.
But I ended up buying the 7" Tab A which with I am satisfied, no issues, running Sept patch but on Lollipop. Though it is fit for purpose, I see it as a large chunk of money saved. :victory:
£90 for the 7" vs £170 for the 10.1", huge difference.
the SM-T580 and the SM-P580 got the updates recently:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a/how-to/tab-sm-p580-update-t3528298
security patch is from december, 1st, 2016
Still no updates
I don't feel very secure using this device. Very disappointed with Samsung and won't be buying another Samsung product based on the less than satisfactory support for the T580.
Just went ahead and flashed the latest german rom with odin. Everything went fine and now i'm on the december security patch.
Can you change the language to English from the German rom?
perky55 said:
Can you change the language to English from the German rom?
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Yes you can. All languages are there. I 'm using it in Dutch.
Received an update today - patch level 1st January 2017
I had an update yesterday and my T585 now says security patch January 17

NRD90M.G935VVRS4BRC3 - Oreo update

Ugh nevermind Verizon is just sending out the security update even though they updated their pages with Oreo information and pics with this build.
It looks like Oreo should be available tomorrow. Build G935VVRS4BRC3. Looks like they are sending out April's security patch first tonight though.
Another fake-out disappointing.
Verizon themselves can't keep their own changelog straight. This update isn't the only one, there are countless examples from all of my devices with incorrect information.
I'm not saying Verizon is worse than any other carrier, they all have their issues. Make no mistake, these companies are not interested in long-term support, they just want your $$$.
Wife and I will probably get Google-branded devices next time. 1+ year waits are RIDICULOUS for software updates in 2018.

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