Google's Git commits point to project on pared-back Android for virtualized environments

Google is working on a stripped-down version of Android for virtualized environments, judging by source code commits made to the AOSP repository. Dubbed MicroDroid, the project is described as a “minimal Linux image.” Rather than start from scratch, Google plans to take an axe to an Android Generic System Image (GSI), carving …

[Anonymous Coward]

Android Virtualization

I found a malicious Android app that used virtualization to install hidden apps to commit ad fraud in the background without the users knowledge using an open source library found on GitHub:

https://github.com/asLody/VirtualApp

Now imagine if a social media app was installed (or even a banking app) into this virtual space...

The app would appear as coming from the users device and could bypass weak 2FA that uses the IMEI or other device identifiers.

I assume one could also use Google sync functions to transfer contacts or other data into a virtualized app running in this virtualized space too.

As the documentation says, it's only limited by your imagination.

[P. Lee]

Re: Android Virtualization

>I assume one could also use Google sync functions to transfer contacts or other data into a virtualized app running in this virtualized space too.

If you sync the data, what's the point?

Google Play goes in this container. All my stuff goes in the non-Google container.

[Tim99]

They said:

"Google plans to take an axe to an Android Generic System Image (GSI), carving out redundancies while preserving components that could prove useful."

They meant: Preserved components are "anything that will track or monetarize you, and your contacts".

[Robert Grant]

Android hypervisor, you say?

Can't wait to run Kubernetes on there.