Samsung has officially revealed that it is working on a fix for the reported lock screen security flaw, which enables an intruder to bypass the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 lock screens.
Speaking to Android Central, a Samsung spokesperson said:
‘Samsung considers user privacy and the security of user data its top priority. We are aware of this issue and will release a fix at the earliest possibility.’
The flaw was discovered by blogger Terence Eden who was able to get past a Galaxy Note 2’s lock screen by exploiting a flaw in the way the TouchWiz UI closes emergency dial screens.
So far, only the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean have been confirmed to have this weakness. It’s not yet known if other devices, such as the Galaxy S3 Mini, or those running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, might also be vulnerable.
According to reports, this exploit is very difficult and time-consuming, but assuming a determined hacker wanted into your Galaxy S3 or Note 2 this is a sure-fire way to do it. Hence, Samsung is taking the matter quite seriously.
Historically, when other security flaws have emerged in Samsung’s flagship devices the company has been very quick off the mark to take not of the issues and to get a fix out rapidly. We’re expecting that Samsung will have a patch ready in a matter of days, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for news of it being issued next week.
While an official patch is generally preferable, in the meantime, if you’re really worried about your phone’s security Lookout Mobile has implemented a fix in its latest Android app update. You can download the app for free from Google Play.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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