Google Pushes Confidential Android Security Update to Pixel User

Google has mistakenly sent out a confidential Google-only dogfood build of their upcoming July 2019 security update to a Pixel owner. These builds are meant to be used internally by Google employees and are not meant to be pushed out to normal users.

A dogfood build is a prerelease version of a software update that developers use internally on their own equipment in order to test it. This allows Google employees to find bugs or other issues and fix them before the update is released to the public.

A reader has told BleepingComputer that they received the July 2019 OTA security update that is meant only for Googlers. This user's device is a Pixel 3a XL, they are not affiliated with Google, but did have dev options turned on.

The description for this update reads:

Security update available

CONFIDENTIAL INTERNAL ONLY -- This is a confidential Googlers-only OTA to update your devices to Android 9 with July 2019 security patches and critical bugfixes. You may use your device normally but do not discuss or comment on this update externally. Send feedback to android-dogfood-discuss@. see go/release-faqs for more info!

Update size: 79.8 MB

When installed, it changed the internal build number to PQ3B.190705.003.

BleepingComputer has contacted Google for comment, but had not heard back by the time of this publication.

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