Samsung Galaxy users welcomed the new year with a fresh security update for their flagship devices. The update, which weighs around 400MB, brings several fixes and improvements for the Galaxy S23, S22, and S21 series, as well as some other models. The firmware versions for the update are S91xBXXS3BWL3 for the S23 series, S90xBXXS7DWL3 for the S22 series, and G99xBXXS9FWL9 for the S21 series.
According to Samsung’s Security Updates webpage, the update addresses one critical vulnerability, CVE-2022-40507, which could allow a malicious actor to access the user’s personal data through the Notification service. This vulnerability affected Galaxy devices running Android 11 to Android 14. The update also patches 67 high-priority vulnerabilities, six moderate-priority vulnerabilities, and one vulnerability that was already fixed in a previous update.
One of the high-priority vulnerabilities that was fixed by the update involved a Bluetooth pairing issue that could allow an attacker to connect a device to a targeted Galaxy phone without the user’s consent or knowledge. Another high-priority vulnerability that was resolved by the update concerned Samsung DeX, a feature that allows users to connect their Galaxy phones to a monitor and use them as a desktop computer. The update prevents Samsung DeX users from accessing the notifications of other users in a multi-user environment.
The update also brings back the burn-in screen protection feature that was removed in a previous update. This feature prevents the screen from developing permanent marks or discoloration by slightly moving the pixels on the screen. Samsung had promised to restore this feature in January after some users complained about its removal.
The January security update is not limited to the Galaxy S23, S22, and S21 series. Other devices that will receive the update include:
– Galaxy Z Flip 5
– Galaxy Z Fold 5
– Galaxy Z Flip 4
– Galaxy Z Fold 4
– Galaxy A52 (5G)
– Galaxy Note 20
The update is rolling out gradually to different regions and carriers. Users can check if the update is available for their devices by going to Settings > Software update. The update contains patches for both Android and Samsung-specific vulnerabilities, and it is recommended to install it as soon as possible to keep the devices secure and up to date.