If you own either the HTC One A9 or the HTC 10, then you will be pleased to learn that the company has begun rolling out the August Android security patch for the handsets. However, the monthly security update in question is for the unlocked models of the HTC 10 and HTC One A9 and not the carrier bound models.
The news comes straight from the horse's mouth — HTC's VP of Product Management Mo Versi.
Mo Versi took to Twitter to confirm the arrival of the August Android security update for the two devices.
HTC A9 & 10 unlocked owners! Latest August security updates are approved and will be available on 8/15. Thanks @mvenugopal
— Mo Versi (@moversi) August 14, 2016
For those wondering if the current update includes the July security patches, which for some odd reason HTC bypassed last month, the answer is yes. This information was also confirmed by the HTC executive when quizzed by a user on Twitter.
@cgarst @mvenugopal it's combined with tomorrow's update — Mo Versi (@moversi) August 14, 2016
The last patch from HTC was in June and therefore users of the unlocked HTC One A9 and the HTC 10 would be relieved to receive the August patch, which will address the QuadRooter vulnerabilities recently detected in some popular smartphones.
For the unfamiliar, Google pushed out two security updates this month, on Aug. 1 and Aug. 5, that addressed the software issues and vulnerabilities in Qualcomm components, respectively.
HTC's August security update will fix three of the four QuadRooter vulnerabilities, namely CVE-2016-2059, CVE-2016-2503 and CVE-2016-2504. Therefore, it is important that owners of the unlocked variants of the HTC 10 and HTC One A9 update their devices once they receive the OTA update.
If you own either of the two unlocked models of the HTC handsets, keep an eye out for the update alert. You can also check manually if the update is available for download. To do this, head to Settings > About Device > Software Updates > Check for Updates. If the update is available, hit the Update Now button to get the August Android security patch on your device immediately.
Ensure that your HTC smartphone has sufficient memory and at least 50 percent battery charge prior to download. Also, make sure that you have access to a reliable Wi-Fi connection.
Remember though that the security patch is being pushed out in phases and is staggered, so it may take some time before it reaches your handset.
