Key Takeaways
- Pixel 9 has the most secure baseband in the Pixel lineup, making it practically impenetrable to hackers.
- Google enhanced security by implementing various measures like bounds sanitizer and stack canaries in the Pixel 9.
- The Pixel 9 surpasses previous Pixel models in security, solidifying its position as the best phone of 2024.
The Pixel 9 is already one of the best phones of 2024. Now it is even better, thanks to Google hardening the cellular baseband found in the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. Google also increased security across its Pixel phones with tweaks to some of their components.
The Pixel 9 is the most secure device Google has made up until now. Previous Pixels were good, there’s no doubt. But the Pixel 9 is in a league of its own. Now it’s more secure than ever.
What you need to know
It all starts with a component found in all smartphones called a baseband. This handles everything your phone needs to communicate with a cellular network, such as calls, texts, and data. It’s essentially a mini-computer inside your phone.
Think of a cellular baseband like the front door for your phone’s connection to the rest of the world. You want it to be as secure as possible. However, bad actors are always trying to find ways to get in by exploiting vulnerabilities in basebands. This can lead to serious privacy issues, and allow attackers to steal personal data or even take control of your phone.
Here’s how Google did it
Google has been steadily increasing the security of Pixel basebands over the years. But the Pixel 9 marks a significant increase in protection. It has the most hardened baseband yet. Hackers will find it practically impossible to get in, at least for now.
Some of the security measures Google has employed to achieve this hardened baseband in the Pixel 9 include:
- Bounds sanitizer: This prevents code from accessing memory, which stops attackers from running malicious code on your device.
- Integer overflow sanitizer: Makes sure numbers are correctly interpreted so attackers can’t mess with internal calculations.
- Stack canaries: These are digital tripwires that detect bad code.
- Control Flow Integrity (CFI): This restricts codes to specific paths, so hijackers can’t mess with the normal flow of information inside your phone.
- Auto-initialize stack variables: This makes sure memory works properly and prevents attackers from using unused memory to leak sensitive data.
These technical terms probably sound a little geeky, but the bottom line is that Google just pushed baseband security ahead by a leap year with the Pixel 9. It’s a proactive approach to security, and is another reason the Pixel 9 remains the best phone of the year.