The serious flaw in the new Android cell phone operating system, revealed earlier this week, is a buffer overflow problem. That’s the same kind of flaw that used to plague Windows computers before Microsoft started its security initiative headlined by the now-familiar monthly Security Bulletins.

To make the proverbial long (programmers’ explanation) story short, buffer overflows can allow baddies to invade your computer and turn it into a spam broadcaster or a base from which to infect other computers. Advanced cell phone operating systems have now become ‘smart’ enough to be susceptible to such threats.

The flaw is specifically associated with Android’s built-in Web browser.

Google — the developer of the Android cell phone platform — is working on the problem. The technically-minded can watch for updates at the official Android Web site.