Google Maps SDK causing widespread crashes

[barbeau]

Summary:

Late last week Google pushed an update to a file used by the Maps SDK in all Android and iOS apps that caused widespread crashes. The issue is here:
https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/154855417

If a user opened an app while this bad file was live, they are stuck in a crash loop. If the user didn't open the app while the bad file was live, they should be ok.

Google is working a release for Google Play Services to fix, but in the mean-time they are suggesting all developers push out a workaround update to their apps 🙄.

Here's the latest advice:
https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/154855417#comment457

We can tell each user to manually do this:

• Clear the affected app's data (not just the cache), or uninstall then reinstall the affected app(s).

Or we can push the following code fix:

In Application.onCreate():

    try {
      SharedPreferences hasFixedGoogleBug154855417 = getSharedPreferences("google_bug_154855417", Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
      if (!hasFixedGoogleBug154855417.contains("fixed")) {
        File corruptedZoomTables = new File(getFilesDir(), "ZoomTables.data");
        File corruptedSavedClientParameters = new File(getFilesDir(), "SavedClientParameters.data.cs");
        File corruptedClientParametersData =
            new File(
              getFilesDir(),
              "DATA_ServerControlledParametersManager.data."
                  + getBaseContext().getPackageName());
        File corruptedClientParametersDataV1 =
            new File(
              getFilesDir(),
              "DATA_ServerControlledParametersManager.data.v1."
                  + getBaseContext().getPackageName());
        corruptedZoomTables.delete();
        corruptedSavedClientParameters.delete();
        corruptedClientParametersData.delete();
        corruptedClientParametersDataV1.delete();
        hasFixedGoogleBug154855417.edit().putBoolean("fixed", true).apply();
      }
    } catch (Exception e) {
 
    }

Steps to reproduce:

Start the app while the bad Google Play Services file was live, and keep trying to restart the app

Expected behavior:

Not crash

Observed behavior:

App is in a crash loop if opened when bad file was live

Device and Android version:

All