Last week, Sony began the rollout of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop - the most recent general release of the OS - to its original Xperia Z-series devices. However, that update didn"t include a patch for the recently discovered Stagefright vulnerability.
This week, Sony has released a new Android 5.1.1 firmware for some of its other Xperia devices - but this time around, the company has included a Stagefright fix.
Details were published in July of the vulnerability in an Android OS component known as "Stagefright", which can be exploited with seemingly-innocent multimedia content such as an MMS message or malicious web page, potentially allowing an attacker to execute their own code on a device, or even take full control. An astonishing 95% of all Android devices were said to be vulnerable.
Owners of the Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1 Compact and Xperia Z Ultra will therefore welcome the news that Sony is rolling out a new Android 5.1.1 firmware update (build 14.6.A.0.368). XperiaBlog says it has confirmed that the new update includes a fix for the Stagefright vulnerability, along with more general improvements in Sony"s 5.1.1 release:
- Improvements to volume and silent mode control, more control of your alerts, simplified and enhanced design
- Integration of LinkedIn with your Calendar and Contacts
- Camera focus, speed and accuracy improvements in Superior Auto mode
- Many new features for Xperia in Business, enhancing enterprise support for Xperia
- Now take pictures from the camera using Sony SmartWatch 3; use the SW3 as a remote shutter button
- Instant calendar events – create & share smart events directly from any email
- Calendar agenda in Email – no need to switch apps to check upcoming events
- Richer Xperia themes
- New Settings menu icons
- Additional options for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in notification menu
The update is already available in some parts of the world - but as with all such software rollouts, it may take some time for all eligible devices to get the update prompt, so if it"s not available for yours device yet, try again at a later time.
Source: XperiaBlog