Phones
Serious Android security leak affected Samsung devices
Samsung and many other Android devices are at risk due to a major security leak. This security vulnerability has led to the creation of trusted malware apps that can access the entire Android operating system on these devices.
As per the new information, Google Android Partner Vulnerability Initiative (APVI) has openly revealed a new exposure that affected various Android devices from OEMs like Samsung, LG, Xiaomi, and more (via Mishaal Rahman).
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The company has also shared the reason why this happened. According to the report, many Android OEMs have leaked the signing keys of their platforms outside their respective companies, which has led to a security leak.
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Created by the device manufacturer, this signing key is used to ensure that your device’s Android version is a valid one. Meanwhile, one can also use the same key to sign different apps and this is what the hackers did.
The key’s design clears that Android trusts any app that is signed with the same key used to sign the operating system. With those app signing keys, a malicious attacker can easily use Android’s “shared user ID” system to grant malware full, system-level permissions on an affected device. In short, an attacker can get access to all the data available on any device.
It is worth mentioning that this Android security leak vulnerability not only appears when installing a new or unknown app, but already available system applications can also be affected by security.
As these leaked platform keys are also used to sign normal apps in some cases, an attacker could add malware to a trusted app, with the same key as a malicious version. can sign it, and Android will trust it as an “update”.
For example, the Samsung Bixby app, which comes pre-installed on Galaxy devices, can also direct to a security leak. This method will work whether an app originally came from Play Store, Galaxy Store, or was sideloaded.
Moreover, Google does not officially disclose which devices or OEMs were affected, but it does display hashes of example malware files. Helpfully, each file is uploaded to VirusTotal, which often also reveals the name of the company affected, which includes:
- Samsung
- LG
- Mediatek
- szroco (makers of Walmart’s Onn tablets)
- Revoview
Google Play Console database confirmed that Samsung’s Galaxy S23 FE will be available in two SoC variants. The company is about to introduce a handful of new Fan Edition products including a smartphone, two tablets, and a pair of wireless earbuds.
In a recent development, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 FE surfaced on the Google Play Console database, which not only confirmed that two SoC variants are coming but an image of the phone also got shared. The device will have Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chips, based on market/region.
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In addition, the S23 Fan Edition will bring 8GB of RAM, well, at least one of its variants will. It’s easily possible this will be the only RAM variant, though. Android 13 is also confirmed, while One UI 5.1 will be included on top of it as well as eligibility of 4 OS plus 5 years of security updates.
OnePlus will launch its first foldable smartphone – the OnePlus Open on October 19. A reliable source revealed the launch date, following OnePlus’ announcement about the “soon” arrival of its first foldable handset.
The upcoming OnePlus Open reportedly features a form factor of OPPO Find N2. After Google’s Pixel Fold, the OnePlus Open will compete with Samsung, which has dominated the international foldable market.
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Notably, the Chinese phone maker kicked out China’s BOE in favor of Samsung Display. This decision led the vendor delay the unveiling of the foldable phone as major change in its OLED panel supply chain.
OnePlus today announced that #OnePlusOpen is launching “soon”
Now let me tell you what soon means: The very first foldable smartphone from @OnePlus is launching October 19th! 🗓️
I’m truly excited about this device!
— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) September 20, 2023
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S24 Plus featuring the unreleased Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor visited Geekbench. Following its first appearance on the benchmark platform in late July, the Galaxy S24 Plus scored slightly better points in the fresh test.
According to the input, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, powering the Galaxy S24 Plus, scored 2240 points and 6743 points in Geekbench 6’s single-core and multi-core tests. For reference, the device reached up to 2242/6730 and 2233/6661 as of July 2023.
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The South Korean tech giant will also introduce the Exynos 2400-powered Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus. These variants will be available in certain markets including Europe, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra only equipped with the Snapdragon chipset.
