Severe PNG issue

[Gayle Lynn]

PNG format,

Your Android device could be critically compromised due to a new attack.

In Google's Android security update for February, the tech giant's advisory noted a critical vulnerability which exists in the Android operating system's framework.

Opening this image file grants hackers access to your Android phone. Be careful if you are sent an image from a suspicious source (goes wo saying but)

https://www.zdnet.com/article/opening-this-image-file-grants-hackers-access-to-your-android-phone/

Android Security Bulletin — February 2019
Published February 4, 2019

https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2019-02-01

A good reason why you should not skip updates. Essential got the February update on 4th.

"Exploitation for many issues on Android is made more difficult by enhancements in newer versions of the Android platform and encourage all users to update to the latest version of Android where possible."

 

[Rukbat]

From the February update:

"There are no Pixel security patches in the February 2019 Pixel Update Bulletin."

So either it was addressed in the January update or it will be addressed in the future. The vulnerability has to be assumed to still be there until they say it's not. To go further than what you said, if you didn't ask for a .png, delete it before opening (unless you made a good backup first, and like redoing your phone). Most people will send you .jpg files anyway.