Users of Samsung Galaxy smartphones are advised by CERT-In to update their phones’ operating systems and security features as soon as possible due to a high-risk alert.
The Union government has released a new advisory requesting that all owners of Samsung Galaxy mobile phones update their operating systems and security software right away in order to defend against hacking and cyberattacks.
The high-risk security advisory was released by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) on December 13. It highlights various security implications that affect millions of Samsung Galaxy phones, including both older and newer models.
The advisory categorizes Samsung phones as “high-risk,” and owners of these devices should update their OS firmware as soon as possible.
In its notification, CERT stated that “multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Samsung products that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system, bypass implemented security restrictions, and access sensitive information.”
According to the agency, the improper access control flaw in the OS’s SmartManagerCN component is the reason for the risk associated with these phones. As stated by the company, the fix for this is to update the security on your Samsung Galaxy phones.
What could happen if you don’t follow CERT advisory?
If owners of Samsung Galaxy phones do not update their operating system and security patches as instructed by CERT-In, they may be exposed to various risks. These are some of the vulnerabilities that the government highlighted in its advisory.
- Steal phone’s secret code (SIM PIN)
- Shout loud commands to phone (broadcast with elevated privilege)
- Peek into private AR Emoji files
- Change the clock on the castle gate (Knox Guard lock)
- Snoop around phone’s files (access arbitrary files)
- Steal important information (sensitive information)
- Control the phone like a puppet (execute arbitrary code)
Conquer the entire phone (threaten to breach the targeted system)
Additionally, Samsung has released guidelines for all users on how to properly secure their phones and ensure that they stay safe from these hacking attempts.
