GoKawiilAndroid flaw lets crafted SMS crash phone calls and trigger reboot loops
Security researcher Mark Blaszczyk disclosed an Android vulnerability in which a specially crafted text message never appears in the inbox but crashes the phone's call-handling service, dropping active calls including those to emergency services. Repeated delivery of the message—around 20 texts, according to Blaszczyk—can push a device into a persistent reboot loop that even a factory reset may not fix if the carrier keeps resending it. Google reportedly developed a fix months before the public disclosure, but it is unclear when the patch will reach users.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The flaw could be exploited without any action from the victim, since the malicious message never shows up as a normal text, making it hard to detect or avoid. The gap between Google's internal fix and public rollout raises questions about how carriers and device makers coordinate on distributing urgent security patches, and how long users remain exposed in the meantime.
- A hidden, specially crafted SMS can crash Android's calling service, dropping active calls including 911.
- About 20 repeated messages can trap a device in a reboot loop that resists a normal factory reset.
- Google reportedly built a fix in advance, but the timeline for pushing it to users remains unclear.
Source: androidauthority.com, 2026-10-30
Published there as: “Android’s SMS of Death bug can knock out your phone, but a fix is coming soon”
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