10 March 2023 , 07:10
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Millions of Galaxy smartphone owners are being warned that their devices might be at risk from hackers due to a glitch with the Android operating system. Google - who owns and develops this software - has just announced the release of the vital upgrade that fixes a number of flaws with one so bad it's been given a "Critical" rating. The nasty bug could basically lead to something called remote code execution which might allow cyber thieves to install malware onto devices remotely. This would easily put owners at risk of having personal data stolen including passwords and user names.
Google says it advised all smartphone manufacturers about the bug before it released its own patch at the start of the month and now Samsung is one of the first firms to push out its own important update.
Confirming the news in its latest security notes, the Korean technology firm said: "Samsung Mobile is releasing a maintenance release for major flagship models as part of monthly Security Maintenance Release (SMR) process.
"This SMR package includes patches from Google and Samsung. Google patches include patches up to Android Security Bulletin – March 2023 package."
(Samsung)In total, this latest release mends 39 bugs from Google and another 11 that are specific to Samsung devices.
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Once the March 2023 patch is installed, any attacks will no longer be able to take place which is why it's so important to check for any updates and tap the download button.
Here's how to make sure your Galaxy smartphone is fully updated with the latest software.
Check for software updates
Step 1. Go to Settings > tap Software update.
Step 2. Tap Download and install.
Step 3. If new software is available, you can choose Install now, Schedule install or Later.
It's worth noting that the file size is around 350MB so it's worth being linked to Wi-Fi if you don't have much mobile data left on your account.
Once the installation takes place your phone will also be out of action for a short time so only perform the update when you don't need to use the phone.
There's no word on which Galaxy devices will get the upgrade first but it's likely that the new Galaxy S23 and last year's Galaxy S22 will be top of the list.