Google, which just announced that over-the-air updates to address the Stagefright vulnerability in several Nexus devices have started to roll out, has also uploaded new factory images to the Nexus Files for Developers page that will fix the Stagefright issue.
The release of new factory images to fix the Stagefright problem means that Nexus smartphones and tablet computers that have their bootloaders unlocked could flash the new builds immediately to their devices to gain protection against the Stagefright exploit, without having to wait for the over-the-air update to land on their Nexus smartphones and tablet computers.
The new images, which were uploaded for the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (2013, Wi-Fi), Nexus 9 (both Wi-Fi and LTE) and Nexus 10, have the same build number of LMY48I.
To flash a Nexus device using the system image uploaded by Google, users will need to acquire the fastboot tool either from a compiled version of the Android Open Source Project or from the platform-tools/ directory in the Android SDK. The complete instructions are in the Nexus Files for Developers webpage.
However, Nexus 6 owners on the T-Mobile network are warned about a complication regarding flashing the uploaded factory images to their smartphone.
Reports state the T-Mobile Nexus 6 owners that decided to flash the LMY48I build into their devices are not able to receive any form of cellular connection afterwards, leaving users with no means to send and receive messages and calls.
The issue is affecting Nexus 6 owners that upgraded from build LYZ28E to LMY48I through flashing the factory image that Google uploaded. Build LYZ28E is the unique build of T-Mobile USA for the Nexus 6, enabling Wi-Fi calling on the smartphone.
It is possible that upgrading from T-Mobile's build LYZ28E, with special radio firmware that has Wi-Fi calling enabled, to build LMY48I, with the standard radio firmware, is causing an issue with the Nexus 6's systems, leading to the disappearance of cellular connections.
T-Mobile Nexus 6 owners can fix the problem by flashing back to build LYZ28E. T-Mobile has already announced that the fix to Stagefright will be through build LYZ28J, so users will only have to wait for the update to be pushed out over the air or for that specific build's factory images to be uploaded and flash that instead.
