Google is reportedly looking into a problem with the latest versions of Nexus smartphones that could force the devices to restart, lock or fail to connect to the Internet. All Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 devices that run Android 4.0 contain a flaw that can render the phones vulnerable to a denial-of-service attack when a large number of Flash SMS messages are sent to them. According to a description on the programming site Stack Overflow, Flash SMS messages, also known as Class 0 SMS, are messages that show up – or flash – on screens immediately and dim the screen around the text. The messages are part of the GSM messaging infrastructure and are often used for sending emergency messages. Since the messages are not saved in phone’s inboxes by default and simply appear, users can select to read or dismiss them. If a message is received on top of another however, they can stack up quickly. <more>

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