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Google Security Blog

AI threats in the wild: The current state of prompt injections on the web

Posted by Thomas Brunner, Yu-Han Liu, Moni Pande At Google, our Threat Intelligence teams are dedicated to staying ahead of real-world adversarial activity, proactively monitoring emerging threats before they can impact users. Right now, Indirect Prompt Injection (IPI) is a top priority for the security community, anticipating it as a primary attack vector for adversaries to target and compromise AI agents. But while the danger of IPI is widely discussed, are threat actors actually exploiting this vector today – and if so, how? To answer these questions and to uncover real-world abuse, we initiated a broad sweep of the public web to monitor for known indirect prompt injection patterns. This is what we found. The threat of indirect prompt injection U…

2026-04-23Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Bringing Rust to the Pixel Baseband

Posted by Jiacheng Lu, Software Engineer, Google Pixel Team Google is continuously advancing the security of Pixel devices. We have been focusing on hardening the cellular baseband modem against exploitation. Recognizing the risks associated within the complex modem firmware, Pixel 9 shipped with mitigations against a range of memory-safety vulnerabilities. For Pixel 10, Google is advancing its proactive security measures further. Following our previous discussion on "Deploying Rust in Existing Firmware Codebases", this post shares a concrete application: integrating a memory-safe Rust DNS(Domain Name System) parser into the modem firmware. The new Rust-based DNS parser significantly reduces our security risk by mitigating an entire class of vulnera…

2026-04-10Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Protecting Cookies with Device Bound Session Credentials

Posted by Ben Ackerman, Chrome team, Daniel Rubery, Chrome team and Guillaume Ehinger, Google Account Security team Following our April 2024 announcement, Device Bound Session Credentials (DBSC) is now entering public availability for Windows users on Chrome 146, and expanding to macOS in an upcoming Chrome release. This project represents a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to combat session theft, which remains a prevalent threat in the modern security landscape. Session theft typically occurs when a user inadvertently downloads malware onto their device. Once active, the malware can silently extract existing session cookies from the browser or wait for the user to log in to new accounts, before exfiltrating these tokens to an attack…

2026-04-09Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Google Workspace’s continuous approach to mitigating indirect prompt injections

Posted by Adam Gavish, Google GenAI Security Team Indirect prompt injection (IPI) is an evolving threat vector targeting users of complex AI applications with multiple data sources, such as Workspace with Gemini. This technique enables the attacker to influence the behavior of an LLM by injecting malicious instructions into the data or tools used by the LLM as it completes the user’s query. This may even be possible without any input directly from the user. IPI is not the kind of technical problem you “solve” and move on. Sophisticated LLMs with increasing use of agentic automation combined with a wide range of content create an ultra-dynamic and evolving playground for adversarial attacks. That’s why Google takes a sophisticated and comprehensive a…

2026-04-02Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

VRP 2025 Year in Review

Posted by Dirk G ö hmann, Tony Mendez, and the Vulnerability Rewards Program Team 2025 marked a special year in the history of vulnerability rewards and bug bounty programs at Google: our 15th anniversary 🎉🎉🎉! Originally started in 2010, our vulnerability reward program (VRP) has seen constant additions and expansions over the past decade and a half, clearly indicating the value the programs under this umbrella contribute to the safety and security of Google and its users, but also highlighting their acceptance by the external research community, without which such programs cannot function. Coming back to 2025 specifically, our VRP once again confirmed the ongoing value of engaging with the external security research community to make Google and its…

2026-03-31Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Security for the Quantum Era: Implementing Post-Quantum Cryptography in Android

Posted by Eric Lynch, Product Manager, Android and Dom Elliott, Group Product Manager, Google Play Modern digital security is at a turning point. We are on the threshold of using quantum computers to solve "impossible" problems in drug discovery, materials science, and energy—tasks that even the most powerful classical supercomputers cannot handle. However, the same unique ability to consider different options simultaneously also allows these machines to bypass our current digital locks. This puts the public-key cryptography we’ve relied on for decades at risk, potentially compromising everything from bank transfers to trade secrets. To secure our future, it is vital to adopt the new Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards National Institute of St…

2026-03-25Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Cultivating a robust and efficient quantum-safe HTTPS

Posted by Chrome Secure Web and Networking Team Today we're announcing a new program in Chrome to make HTTPS certificates secure against quantum computers. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) recently created a working group, PKI, Logs, And Tree Signatures (“PLANTS”), aiming to address the performance and bandwidth challenges that the increased size of quantum-resistant cryptography introduces into TLS connections requiring Certificate Transparency (CT). We recently shared our call to action to secure quantum computing and have written about challenges introduced by quantum-resistant cryptography and some of the steps we’ve taken to address them in earlier blog posts. To ensure the scalability and efficiency of the ecosystem, Chrome has no im…

2026-02-27Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Staying One Step Ahead: Strengthening Android’s Lead in Scam Protection

Posted by Lyubov Farafonova, Product Manager, Phone by Google; Alberto Pastor Nieto, Sr. Product Manager Google Messages and RCS Spam and Abuse We’ve shared how Android’s proactive, multi-layered scam defenses utilize Google AI to protect users around the world from over 10 billion suspected malicious calls and messages every month 1. While that scale is significant, the true impact of these protections is best understood through the stories of the individuals they help keep safe every day. This includes people like Majik B., an IT professional in Sunnyvale, California. Despite his technical background, Majik recently found himself on a call that felt dangerously legitimate. While using his Pixel, he received a call that appeared to be from his bank…

2026-02-25Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Keeping Google Play & Android app ecosystems safe in 2025

Posted by Vijaya Kaza, VP and GM, App & Ecosystem Trust The Android ecosystem is a thriving global community built on trust, giving billions of users the confidence to download the latest apps. In order to maintain that trust, we’re focused on ensuring that apps do not cause real-world harm, such as malware, financial fraud, hidden subscriptions, and privacy invasions. As bad actors leverage AI to change their tactics and launch increasingly sophisticated attacks, we’ve deepened our investments in AI and real-time defenses over the last year to maintain the upper hand and stop these threats before they reach users. Upgrading Google Play’s AI-powered, multi-layered user protections We’ve seen a clear impact from these safety efforts on Google Play. I…

2026-02-19Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

New Android Theft Protection Feature Updates: Smarter, Stronger

Posted by Nataliya Stanetsky, Fabricio Ferracioli, Elliot Sisteron, Irene Ang of the Android Security Team Phone theft is more than just losing a device; it's a form of financial fraud that can leave you suddenly vulnerable to personal data and financial theft. That’s why we're committed to providing multi-layered defenses that help protect you before, during, and after a theft attempt. Today, we're announcing a powerful set of theft protection feature updates that build on our existing protections, designed to give you greater peace of mind by making your device a much harder target for criminals. Stronger Authentication Safeguards We've expanded our security to protect you against an even wider range of threats. These updates are now available for…

2026-01-27Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

HTTPS certificate industry phasing out less secure domain validation methods

Posted by Chrome Root Program Team Secure connections are the backbone of the modern web, but a certificate is only as trustworthy as the validation process and issuance practices behind it. Recently, the Chrome Root Program and the CA/Browser Forum have taken decisive steps toward a more secure internet by adopting new security requirements for HTTPS certificate issuers. These initiatives, driven by Ballots SC-080, SC-090, and SC-091, will sunset 11 legacy methods for Domain Control Validation. By retiring these outdated practices, which rely on weaker verification signals like physical mail, phone calls, or emails, we are closing potential loopholes for attackers and pushing the ecosystem toward automated, cryptographically verifiable security. To…

2025-12-10Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Further Hardening Android GPUs

Posted by Liz Prucka, Hamzeh Zawawy, Rishika Hooda, Android Security and Privacy Team Last year, Google's Android Red Team partnered with Arm to conduct an in-depth security analysis of the Mali GPU, a component used in billions of Android devices worldwide. This collaboration was a significant step in proactively identifying and fixing vulnerabilities in the GPU software and firmware stack. While finding and fixing individual bugs is crucial, and progress continues on eliminating them entirely, making them unreachable by restricting attack surface is another effective and often faster way to improve security. This post details our efforts in partnership with Arm to further harden the GPU by reducing the driver's attack surface. The Growing Threat:…

2025-12-09Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Architecting Security for Agentic Capabilities in Chrome

Posted by Nathan Parker, Chrome security team Chrome has been advancing the web’s security for well over 15 years, and we’re committed to meeting new challenges and opportunities with AI. Billions of people trust Chrome to keep them safe by default, and this is a responsibility we take seriously. Following the recent launch of Gemini in Chrome and the preview of agentic capabilities, we want to share our approach and some new innovations to improve the safety of agentic browsing. The primary new threat facing all agentic browsers is indirect prompt injection. It can appear in malicious sites, third-party content in iframes, or from user-generated content like user reviews, and can cause the agent to take unwanted actions such as initiating financial…

2025-12-08Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Android expands pilot for in-call scam protection for financial apps

Posted by Aden Haussmann, Associate Product Manager and Sumeet Sharma, Play Partnerships Trust & Safety Lead Android uses the best of Google AI and our advanced security expertise to tackle mobile scams from every angle. Over the last few years, we’ve launched industry-leading features to detect scams and protect users across phone calls, text messages and messaging app chat notifications. These efforts are making a real difference in the lives of Android users. According to a recent YouGov survey 1 commissioned by Google, Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to report they had not received any scam texts in the prior week 2. But our work doesn’t stop there. Scammers are continuously evolving, using more sophisticated social engineering…

2025-12-03Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Android Quick Share Support for AirDrop: A Secure Approach to Cross-Platform File Sharing

Posted by Dave Kleidermacher, VP, Platforms Security & Privacy, Google Technology should bring people closer together, not create walls. Being able to communicate and connect with friends and family should be easy regardless of the phone they use. That’s why Android has been building experiences that help you stay connected across platforms. As part of our efforts to continue to make cross-platform communication more seamless for users, we've made Quick Share interoperable with AirDrop, allowing for two-way file sharing between Android and iOS devices, starting with the Pixel 10 Family. This new feature makes it possible to quickly share your photos, videos, and files with people you choose to communicate with, without worrying about the kind of pho…

2025-11-20Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Rust in Android: move fast and fix things

Posted by Jeff Vander Stoep, Android Last year, we wrote about why a memory safety strategy that focuses on vulnerability prevention in new code quickly yields durable and compounding gains. This year we look at how this approach isn’t just fixing things, but helping us move faster. The 2025 data continues to validate the approach, with memory safety vulnerabilities falling below 20% of total vulnerabilities for the first time. Updated data for 2025. This data covers first-party and third-party (open source) code changes to the Android platform across C, C++, Java, Kotlin, and Rust. This post is published a couple of months before the end of 2025, but Android’s industry-standard 90-day patch window means that these results are very likely close to f…

2025-11-13Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

How Android provides the most effective protection to keep you safe from mobile scams

Posted by Lyubov Farafonova, Product Manager, Phone by Google; Alberto Pastor Nieto, Sr. Product Manager Google Messages and RCS Spam and Abuse; Vijay Pareek, Manager, Android Messaging Trust and Safety As Cybersecurity Awareness Month wraps up, we’re focusing on one of today's most pervasive digital threats: mobile scams. In the last 12 months, fraudsters have used advanced AI tools to create more convincing schemes, resulting in over $400 billion in stolen funds globally. ¹ For years, Android has been on the frontlines in the battle against scammers, using the best of Google AI to build proactive, multi-layered protections that can anticipate and block scams before they reach you. Android’s scam defenses protect users around the world from over 10…

2025-10-30Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

HTTPS by default

One year from now, with the release of Chrome 154 in October 2026, we will change the default settings of Chrome to enable “Always Use Secure Connections”. This means Chrome will ask for the user's permission before the first access to any public site without HTTPS. The “Always Use Secure Connections” setting warns users before accessing a site without HTTPS Chrome Security's mission is to make it safe to click on links. Part of being safe means ensuring that when a user types a URL or clicks on a link, the browser ends up where the user intended. When links don't use HTTPS, an attacker can hijack the navigation and force Chrome users to load arbitrary, attacker-controlled resources, and expose the user to malware, targeted exploitation, or social e…

2025-10-28Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Accelerating adoption of AI for cybersecurity at DEF CON 33

Posted by Elie Bursztein and Marianna Tishchenko, Google Privacy, Safety and Security Team Empowering cyber defenders with AI is critical to tilting the cybersecurity balance back in their favor as they battle cybercriminals and keep users safe. To help accelerate adoption of AI for cybersecurity workflows, we partnered with Airbus at DEF CON 33 to host the GenSec Capture the Flag (CTF), dedicated to human-AI collaboration in cybersecurity. Our goal was to create a fun, interactive environment, where participants across various skill levels could explore how AI can accelerate their daily cybersecurity workflows. At GenSec CTF, nearly 500 participants successfully completed introductory challenges, with 23% of participants using AI for cybersecurity…

2025-09-24Read metadata →

Google Security Blog

Supporting Rowhammer research to protect the DRAM ecosystem

Posted by Daniel Moghimi Rowhammer is a complex class of vulnerabilities across the industry. It is a hardware vulnerability in DRAM where repeatedly accessing a row of memory can cause bit flips in adjacent rows, leading to data corruption. This can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access to data, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service. Hardware vendors have deployed various mitigations, such as ECC and Target Row Refresh (TRR) for DDR5 memory, to mitigate Rowhammer and enhance DRAM reliability. However, the resilience of those mitigations against sophisticated attackers remains an open question. To address this gap and help the ecosystem with deploying robust defenses, Google has supported academic research and developed tes…

2025-09-15Read metadata →