14 DAY TRIAL // Android users now have a lightweight tool at their disposal that will help them check for known vulnerabilities on their phone.
The tool, Android VTS (Vulnerability Test Suite), was created by NowSecure, a company that provides mobile security solutions.
Android VTS works by scanning a user's device for a list of vulnerabilities that were disclosed, fixed by Google, and then the updates made available to mobile carriers and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers, a.k.a. phone makers like Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, etc. )
Using Android VTS, users will be able to detect if their phone has the latest patches applied, and if the phone manufacturer and its mobile carrier have done their job.
Android VTS is free to use, scans for over 10 major bugs
"This implementation takes care to not include checks that could cause instability problems for the end user and therefore may omit checks that could cause these types of issues," NowSecure says. "Some of the kernel bugs can sometimes be difficult to check for without potentially causing system instability."
The full list of bugs (with their respective links) is attached below the article. As you can see, Android VTS scans for both old and new vulnerabilities alike.
Either way, NowSecure's effort is well worth your time, so install the app and let it scan your phone even once. Knowing how little mobile carriers care about security updates, there's a significant chance the results may cause you to throw a fit.
Android VTS has been open-sourced on GitHub and also uploaded and listed on the official Google Play store.