Elvard project/Shutterstock

The modem is a critical component of your phone, and it uses complex code to help perform its functions. For example, Google's Pixel modem firmware has tens of megabytes of executable code written in C and C++. However, because of how these programming languages make it difficult to properly manage memory, they increase the chances of writing memory-unsafe code, making the modem an attractive surface for attackers to try to exploit. Such code makes your phone vulnerable to critical memory-related attacks such as buffer overflows. 

Fortunately, Google started addressing the issue by patching some of the memory-safety vulnerabilities in its modem firmware, starting with the Pixel 9 in 2024. But if you own any of Google's Pixel 10 series devices, then your device is getting even safer, as the company has just rolled out a major security upgrade that's heading your way. In a post published on Google's Security Blog in April 2026, the Android maker says it has enhanced its proactive security measures further on the Pixel 10 by "integrating a memory-safe Rust DNS (Domain Name System) parser into the modem firmware." 

This gives Pixel 10 series devices a critical security upgrade, as Google says that using the Rust programming language in its baseband DNS parser addresses memory-related vulnerabilities, which, in turn, helps significantly reduce security risks in the modem. Considering how critical memory-related vulnerabilities can be, here's hoping more Android phone manufacturers will copy what Google has done.

Mamun_Sheikh/Shutterstock

An Android phone's modem essentially has its own operating system, and hackers can target this to compromise a device since the security measures implemented by the general phone OS wouldn't help in protecting it. Attackers clearly understand this, as Google's blog post reveals that it has seen increasing interest in cellular modems from both attackers and researchers. Bearing in mind that cellular modems can be exploited remotely, it's important that more Android phones get similar treatment as the Pixel 10 series. 

If Google's own Project Zero managed to gain remote code execution on Pixel modems over the internet, you can imagine what could happen if the bad guys were able to do the same. Google's switch from using legacy C and C++ code to the memory-safe Rust programming language for a critical component like the DNS parser shows that it's doable, and it acts as proof that even the smallest changes can make the biggest difference security-wise. 

We hope to see more Android manufacturers copy such a move in order to keep their users safe, because memory-related vulnerabilities are among the most exploited. These bugs are usually critical, and they even forced the National Security Agency (NSA) to issue an advisory in 2022, urging organizations to use memory-safe languages whenever possible to mitigate the issue. Memory-related bugs in your phone can be exploited to spy on you, which is why Apple stepped up its security game with the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air by adding a Memory Integrity Enforcement feature to deal with spyware.

Thrive Studios ID/Shutterstock

The integration of a Rust-based component into the modem for the Pixel 10 series isn't the only time we've seen Google embrace the programming language. The company first announced that it would support the Rust language in developing the Android OS in 2021 as a direct alternative to C and C++. Since then, it has been slowly integrating the language into Android's internals as a way to deal with memory-related bugs in the OS. This is all part of the company's so-called Safe Coding approach, which prioritizes ditching memory-unsafe languages like C and C++ and switching to memory-safe options like Rust. 

A 2025 update from the company said the strategy reduced memory safety bugs to below 20% of the total vulnerabilities for the first time ever and is also helping the team ship code much faster by reducing the time spent reviewing code. As of 2026, there's a chance that some of the features you're enjoying on your Android phone are powered by Rust. For example, to enable Google Pixel devices to share files with iPhones over AirDrop, the company updated Android's existing Quick Share feature by adding a new secure sharing channel that was developed using Rust.