It seems that some Android smartphone makers are lying to users about the patch status of their device[1], telling them that it's up-to-date when it isn't.
Here's how to find out if your Android smartphone is lying to you.
See also : iPhone battery life bad after installing iOS11.3? Here's what you can do[2]
SnoopSnitch
Download SnoopSnitch
The first step is to take a trip to the Google Play Store and download SnoopSnitch[3], and app developed by Security Research Labs, the company behind the report that first discovered that Android smartphone makers weren't being truthful with users in the first place.
The app is free, and download and installation takes only seconds.
Run the test
Once the app is downloaded, run it and then click on Android patch level analysis which appears at the top of the screen, and then on Start test.
The next step takes some time because the app needs to chunter through your device checking whether the patches that the operating system claim are installed have actually been installed. Based on my testing using a few different devices, me this part took a few minutes, so don't go doing this if you're in a rush or busy with something else.
The results
Here's where we get to the good, the bad, and the ugly, because SnoopSnitch will outline not only vulnerabilities that have been patched, but also patches that are missing, as well as new vulnerabilities that have yet to be patched.
The app will also highlight the status of any vulnerabilities that SnoopSnitch is unsure about.