This new release contains improvements to eSIM activation without Google Play Services, reset attack mitigation improvements for Tensor Pixels, and slightly improved hardened_malloc memory tagging.
Kernel.org LTS updates, a new, better HTTPS network time implementation, removal of launcher home screen gradient (again!) and other improvements.
Full changelog:
  • isolate eSIM activation app from non-system apps to avoid it sharing data with sandboxed Google Play
  • make eSIM activation toggle available without sandboxed Google Play installed
  • make the eSIM activation app toggle persistent instead of it being disabled at boot
  • remove misleading message about device info being sent to Google message before eSIM download
  • hardened_malloc: use tag 0 for freed slots instead of reserving a tag to allow using 15 of 16 possible tag values for random tags (there are 3 dynamic exclusions of the random values for the previous tag along with the 2 current or previous adjacent tags)
  • Settings: prevent disabling Camera2/CameraX extension provider app (Pixel Camera Services for Pixels) since it breaks apps using CameraX
  • kernel (Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro): use a normal reboot on overheating instead of an emergency reboot to harden against physical attacks
  • kernel: enable reset attack mitigation for UEFI systems supporting it (Tensor Pixels use minimalistic littlekernel-based boot firmware rather than UEFI and the previous Snapdragon Pixels using UEFI didn't implement this but we may need this for future devices)
  • kernel (Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Generic 5.10): update to latest GKI LTS branch revision including update to 5.10.208
  • kernel (Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Generic 5.15): update to latest GKI LTS branch revision including update to 5.15.147
  • kernel (Generic 6.1): update to latest GKI LTS branch revision including update to 6.1.73
  • Launcher: disable gradient at the top of the home screen again (change lost with Android 14 QPR1 due to it being reimplemented upstream)
  • rewrite HTTPS network time implementation to make it much more maintainable and robust along with providing better debug output via ADB
  • Vanadium: update to version 121.0.6167.101.1
  • GmsCompatConfig: update to version 93
Seedvault: update to latest revision (will be replaced with a better backup implementation in the future)