Google has released the first Android 14 developer preview. Apps now have to specify how they intend to use certain features of the device, data sharing will be restricted, and additional files downloaded by apps will be read-only.
Developers say that through the use of the Runtime receivers mechanism, Android 14-oriented applications will have to declare that they need to receive information from other applications. Otherwise, they will be limited to system broadcasts only.
This innovation is a continuation of the Context.registerReceiver() function introduced in previous versions of Android. This mechanism is aimed at preventing malicious applications from intercepting or misusing broadcasts, which is usually used by malware to access other applications.
To further complicate the interception of sensitive user data by malware, when exchanging information between applications, the sending of “intents” (intents) that do not have a specific recipient will be limited. In fact, this means that the malware will no longer be able to intercept “intentions” sent by other applications and read their contents.
Another important security feature in Android 14 will be more secure dynamic code loading, which will restrict any files downloaded by an app to read-only mode. The intention of the developers is to prevent some code injection scenarios by manipulating executable files that are intended to be run by privileged applications.
Let me also remind you that it was previously reported that Android 14 will have a mechanism to combat malicious applications that target older API levels (Android versions). You won’t even be able to download the APK file and install it manually, or install apps that haven’t been updated for a long time. That is, Android 14 will block the installation ovation of any malicious applications designed for SDK versions below 23 (Android 6.0).