It was widely expected that today would be the day that Google dropped the January security update for Nexus devices and that appears to be the case. Google has updated the Factory Images page on their developer site, bringing the latest build of Android Marshmallow to a range of devices. With the release of the images, users can expect the OTA updates to being shortly to the latest build of 6.0.1 while manufactures and carriers can start doing their testing to get updates out quickly. It is likely we will see an update from HTC and T-Mobile drop for the One A9 and Nexus 6 respectively in the next two weeks.
The updated images are for all of the devices that were upgraded or released with Android Marshmallow. Here is the list and the newest build number for each Nexus device.
- Pixel C: 6.0.1 (MXB48K)
- Nexus 6P: 6.0.1 (MMB29P)
- Nexus 5X: 6.0.1 (MMB29P)
- Nexus 6: 6.0.1 (MMB29S)
- Nexus Player: 6.0.1 (MMB29T)
- Nexus 9 LTE: 6.0.1 (MMB29S)
- Nexus 9 Wi-Fi: 6.0.1 (MMB29S)
- Nexus 5: 6.0.1 (MMB29S)
- Nexus 7 (2013) Wi-Fi: 6.0.1 (MMB29O)
- Nexus 7 (2013) LTE: 6.0.1 (MMB29O)
If you are comfortable with flashing your devices then you can download the files today and update immediately. Otherwise you will need to wait for the OTA update.
As for what was fixed in the update, here is the table provided by the Android security team.
| Issue | CVE | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Mediaserver | CVE-2015-6636 | Critical |
| Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in misc-sd driver | CVE-2015-6637 | Critical |
| Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in the Imagination Technologies driver | CVE-2015-6638 | Critical |
| Elevation of Privilege Vulnerabilities in Trustzone | CVE-2015-6639 | Critical |
| Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Kernel | CVE-2015-6640 | Critical |
| Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Bluetooth | CVE-2015-6641 | High |
| Information Disclosure Vulnerability in Kernel | CVE-2015-6642 | High |
| Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Setup Wizard | CVE-2015-6643 | Moderate |
| Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Wi-Fi | CVE-2015-5310 | Moderate |
| Information Disclosure Vulnerability in Bouncy Castle | CVE-2015-6644 | Moderate |
| Denial of Service Vulnerability in SyncManager | CVE-2015-6645 | Moderate |
| Attack Surface Reduction for Nexus Kernels | CVE-2015-6646 | Moderate |
When Will Your Nexus See The Update?
The question that comes up each month is when you will see the update hit your Nexus device. If your device is unlocked (you didn’t get it from a carrier) then you can expect the update over the course of the next few weeks. Google phases these roll outs so it won’t be immediate for many people. If you have a carrier bought device (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc), it could be a few weeks before they
Android Marshmallow
release an update which means it could be a month or so before you see it. In the case of AT&T on the Nexus 6 however, don’t hold your breath. They still haven’t released Android Marshmallow 6.0 for that device yet T-Mobile has already rolled out 6.0.1 to the device on their network. As for HTC, you should see the update on the One A9 within 15 days per their promise.
