Samsung's February Security Updates Are Rolling Out For Several Galaxy Models
Samsung is rolling out its February 2022 security updates for several Galaxy smartphone models, and users are likely to see them continue to arrive in the coming days. The list is a pretty beefy-looking one already, according to SamMobile, with everything from the aging Galaxy Note 9 to the foldable Galaxy Z Flip getting updates.
The company follows a staggered update schedule for its devices, with some earmarked for monthly security releases while others only get quarterly and biannual updates. For example, while both the Galaxy S21 and S21 FE are included as part of the company's monthly release plan, other models like the Galaxy A03 and the S8 Lite don't receive updates as often. The models listed under each tier change over time.
Users should keep in mind that not all of the updates are rolling out in the same place at the same time. SamMobile points out that the Galaxy Note 9 patches are already available in the US, while the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy S21 updates are currently popping up in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and other select regions. According to 9to5Google, most of the updates are available in the US, but some devices like the Galaxy A50s aren't covered yet. As well, Galaxy owners on some carriers will see the releases before others; for example, the Galaxy Note 9 update in the US appears to have arrived for Verizon subscribers first.
Some of the changes
The February security update includes a lot of high-priority fixes, plus two critical ones, based on Samsung's security update page. It doesn't specify which devices these fixes are intended for, though a few of the moderate bugs are shown as affecting some of the receiver functions for Wear OS 3.0 — all of which are shown as moderate risks. Thankfully, all of the issues on the list are marked as being "privately disclosed," so they might not have been discovered by bad actors before the patches were released.
The first critical problem on Samsung's list is dubbed SVE-2021-23582 (or CVE-2022-23425), and it made it possible for potential attackers to bypass user or device authentication over an LTE network. The second critical issue, referred to as SVE-2021-23584 (CVE-2022-23432), would allow an attacker to execute their own code by exploiting an interrupt request intended to tell the device's processor to stop running a program.
High-risk bugs include several potential exploits that could result in arbitrary code execution, allowing attackers to perform their own commands on the device or run their own code.
The list of models
It's worth noting that the list for February's security updates may receive some additions before the month is over, but for the time being it includes:
- Galaxy S Series: Galaxy S10 Lite, Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy S20 FE, Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Galaxy Z Fold Series: Galaxy Z Fold 2
- Galaxy Flip Series: Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, and Galaxy Z Flip 3
- Galaxy Note Series: Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy Note 10+, Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, Galaxy Note 20, and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
- Galaxy A Series: Galaxy A32, Galaxy A50, Galaxy A50s, and Galaxy A51
- Misc. Galaxy Series: Galaxy F62 and Galaxy M31
If you don't see your device listed, or if you do see it listed but don't have the option to update yet, keep an eye out as that could change over the next few days or weeks. Samsung also acknowledges that some security updates are device-specific and may not be included in February's package, but also states that the updates "will be included in upcoming security update packages as soon as the patches are ready to deliver."