{"slug": "google-fixing-android-lock-screen-bug-that-lets-gemini-send-sms-without-a-pin", "title": "Google fixing Android lock screen bug that lets Gemini send SMS without a PIN", "summary": "Google is fixing a lock screen bug in Android that allows users to send SMS messages via the Gemini assistant without entering a PIN or password, bypassing security protections.", "body_md": "### MOST POPULAR\n\n[AI](https://beta.theregister.com/tag/ai)\n\n-\nAI and ML\n\n#### OpenAI admits GPT-5.6 occasionally deletes files – but it's an 'honest mistake'\n\nData purges deemed an example of 'misaligned behavior' that upstart is working to avoid\n\n-\nAI and ML\n\n#### Researcher poisons open-weight AI model for under $100\n\nModels demand trust without offering verification\n\n-\nSYSTEMS\n\n#### TSMC's $265B US fab pledge is the outline of a concept of a plan\n\nBeware of fab makers bearing press releases\n\n-\nAI and ml\n\n#### Former OpenAI CTO does what Altman won't, releases a frontier AI model that's actually open\n\nThinking Machines' first open weights model is a 975 billion parameter alternative to Chinese LLMs\n\n-\nai and ml\n\n#### Cadence's AuraStack agent melds AI with HPC to speed PCB, advanced packaging design\n\nOne-two punch offers a glimpse of how low-precision AI can complement high-precision simulations\n\n[Infosec](https://beta.theregister.com/security)\n\n-\nSecurity\n\n#### Russians are posing as Signal support to launch phishing attacks\n\nPLUS: US takes down Iranian propaganda sites; Marketing company asks 'Why Do We Have Your Information?' And more!\n\n-\nSecurity\n\n#### Microsoft patches failed to fix on-prem SharePoint, which is now under zero-day attack\n\nPLUS: China upgrades smartphone surveillance tools; Ring eases anti-snooping stance; and more\n\n-\nBlack Hat and DEF CON\n\n#### DEF CON Franklin project enlists hackers to harden critical infrastructure\n\nVoting village reports have been so successful, says Jeff Moss, that the whole of DEF CON will now be included\n\n-\nSecurity\n\n#### EQT buys majority share in Swiss cybersecurity biz Acronis\n\nWent at equivalent of $3.5B+ valuation for entire firm, though portion sold not specified\n\n-\nMalware Month\n\n#### Ten years since the first corp ransomware, Mikko Hyppönen sees no end in sight\n\nOn the plus side, infosec's a good bet for a long, stable career\n\n[FOSS](https://beta.theregister.com/tag/FOSS)\n\n-\n#### A moment of silence, please, for the final release of Debian on x86-32\n\nNew Debian versions hit FOSSland in the form of 13.6 and 12.15\n\n-\n#### Baddies caught exploiting extensions bugs with perfect 10 scores on vulnerable Joomla websites\n\nFlaws in iCagenda, Balbooa Forms extensions can impact open source CMS that powers a million sites worldwide\n\n-\n#### Frame: A new X11 server – implemented directly in assembly\n\nJoins yserver, Phoenix, and of course XLibre – and outlier Arcan\n\n-\n#### Cinnamon 6.8 will support Wayland – if you want it\n\nNext version of Linux Mint’s desktop has both kinds of display server\n\n-\n#### KDE Plasma users face a dire omen of change: 6.6.6 arrives\n\n6.7 is now current, and in 6.8 you're getting Wayland whether you like it or not\n\n-\n#### Collabora releases CODE 26.04 as rivalry between FOSS cloudy office suites heats up\n\nNow with Markdown support and smarter formula error handling – plus integrated AI, though it's off by default", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-fixing-android-lock-screen-bug-that-lets-gemini-send-sms-without-a-pin", "canonical_source": "https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/07/17/google-fixing-android-lock-screen-bug-that-lets-gemini-send-sms-without-a-pin/5273027", "published_at": "2026-07-17 09:15:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-17 09:26:29.364289+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-products", "ai-safety"], "entities": ["Google", "Gemini", "Android"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-fixing-android-lock-screen-bug-that-lets-gemini-send-sms-without-a-pin", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-fixing-android-lock-screen-bug-that-lets-gemini-send-sms-without-a-pin.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-fixing-android-lock-screen-bug-that-lets-gemini-send-sms-without-a-pin.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-fixing-android-lock-screen-bug-that-lets-gemini-send-sms-without-a-pin.jsonld"}}