Google Opens 12 Android Low-Numbered Ports via Play Update

3 articles · Updated · heise online · Jun 2

Twelve well-known ports below 1024 will become available to Android apps through the next Google Play System update, including TCP 22, 80, 443, 445, 515 and 631 plus UDP 319, 320 and 443.
Google is making the change in an Android Mainline APEX networking module using eBPF, so it can ship without a full OS upgrade and potentially expand the whitelist later.
Android 13 devices need Linux kernel 5.15 or newer, meaning phones launched with Android 14 are most likely covered while some Android 13 and upgraded older devices may miss out.
The shift follows years of rejected developer requests and a recent Android 17 Developer Preview finding that exposed UDP ports 319 and 320, while Google still keeps the broader block on sub-1024 ports in place.
Opening the ports could improve local-network uses such as file sharing, remote access and printer connectivity, though it may also weaken some existing security safeguards.

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