This information is intended for developers of apps that utilize any version of MoPub, an ad platform, that precedes 4.4.0. These versions contain a security vulnerability.Please migrate your app(s) to MoPub v4.4.0 or higher as soon as possible and increment the version number of the upgraded APK.
What’s happening
Beginning July 11, 2016, Google Play will block publishing of any new apps or updates that use older versions of MoPub. Please refer to the notice on your Play Console. After the deadlines shown in your Play Console, any apps that contain unfixed security vulnerabilities may be removed from Google Play.
Action required
- Sign in to your Play Console, and navigate to the Alerts section to see which apps are affected and the deadlines to resolve these issues.
- Update your affected apps and fix the vulnerability.
- Submit the updated versions of your affected apps.
Upon resubmission, your app will be reviewed again. This process can take several hours. If the app passes review and is published successfully, then no further action is required. If the app fails review, then the new app version will not be published and you will receive an email notification.
Additional details
Download the latest version of Mopub here. Contact support@mopub.com if you need help upgrading. If you’re using a 3rd party library that bundles MoPub, you’ll need to upgrade it to a version that bundles MoPub 4.4.0 or higher.
The vulnerability is due to unsanitized default WebView settings. An attacker may exploit this vulnerability by serving a malicious JavaScript code in an advertising creative, making it possible to infer the existences of privacy-sensitive local resources on the devices. For Android devices with the prior versions of API 16, the attacker can even access local resources. For other technical questions, you can post to Stack Overflow and use the tags “android-security”.
To confirm the version number if you're building using the Jcenter AAR, you can check your Gradle config and make sure it points to 4.4.0. To confirm the version number if you're building directly from source or not using Gradle, you can check com.mopub.common.MoPub.java for SDK_VERSION.
While these specific issues may not affect every app that uses MoPub, it’s best to stay up to date on all security patches. Apps with vulnerabilities that expose users to risk of compromise may be considered in violation of our Malicious Behavior policy and section 4.4 of the Developer Distribution Agreement.
Apps must also comply with the Developer Distribution Agreement and Developer Program Policies.
We’re here to help
If you have technical questions about the vulnerability, you can post to Stack Overflow and use the tag “android-security.” For clarification on steps you need to take to resolve this issue, you can contact our developer support team.