We all know that Oreo arrived with many new features which tighten the security of Android. The minutiae of a protective feature, dubbed as Rollback protection have been revealed by Google. The Rollback protection feature already implemented in Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL phones.
What is Rollback protection ?
Most of you know that Google introduced verified boot feature, a few years which tightened boot time security. Now with Android Oreo, a refined version of verified boot known as Android Verified Boot 2.0 has arrived. It contains rollback protection, OEM lock abstraction layer and many improvements.
Rollback protection comes into play when the hacker tries to rollback the device to an earlier android version which contains security vulnerabilities and suitable for an attack. The device won’t boot if the device is rolled back to an earlier firmware. It works along with the Project Treble, which separate Android Platform from vendor code.
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL comes with inbuilt Project Treble and also Sony Xperia XZ1. Now Google is recommending phone makers to implement rollback protection feature in their upcoming devices. So most likely OEMs like Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony and Huawei will support this remarkable feature in their future flagships.
The original Pixel and Pixel XL devices received Android Oreo update along with Project Treble and Essential and Huawei has confirmed that Treble will be included in Oreo update. So some flagship devices of 2017 may get the rollback protection along with Project Treble. Unfortunately, Oneplus and Nokia announced that thier existing flagships won’t receive Project Treble. Most likely LG V30 and Samsung Galaxy S8 flagships won’t get Treble, as suggested by beta testers.
We hope Google will add more security features in the upcoming Android 9.0 P update.
