Samsung patches nearly 200 security issues on its phone hardware - here's
what you need to know

Date:
Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:50:29 +0000

Description:
Samsung's bloatware carried dangerous flaws that enabled access to the
phone's microphone and camera.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Oversecured found 176 vulnerabilities across Samsungs preinstalled mobile apps Flaws enabled
account takeover, code execution, and traffic hijacking via bloatware Samsung patched all reported issues, affecting hundreds of millions of devices Security researchers from Oversecured have given bloatware an entirely new meaning, revealing that they uncovered 176 vulnerabilities - including some rather worrying ones - in Samsung s mobile apps.

For the last three years, the team analyzed Samsungs preinstalled system applications and found vulnerabilities that could cause some serious harm. Some of the bugs granted camera and microphone access, while others allowed for remote Samsung Account takeover with nothing more than a single click. Some flaws allowed for network traffic hijacking via DNS manipulation, and others granted arbitrary code execution via an image. In theory, a malicious actor could craft and send a JPEG image which, when the victim opens, copies and loads attacker-controlled native libraries from the SD card. Finally, Oversecured found path traversal vulnerabilities allowing writing arbitrary files to the file system without proper path validation. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Arbitrary code execution The researchers disclosed their findings to Samsung which, according to their report, fixed all of the reported issues - the full list can be found on GitHub .

Most Android smartphone manufacturers preload their devices with proprietary apps - think Bixby, Samsung Free, or AR Zone. These apps - which cannot be uninstalled or removed from the devices - arent necessary to their operations and are often not wanted by the users in the first place. You may like GrapheneOS patches an Android VPN bypass that Google decided to leave alone Apple and Google are hosting hundreds of dangerous VPN links here is why
your device is at risk TP-Link router owners update now 15 flaws patched to stop hackers hijacking your devices

This 'bloatware' is also one of the key selling propositions of Google Pixel devices, since these are considered stock Android, or bloatware-free.

Out of context, these bugs are nothing extraordinary. Single-click account takeover flaws and traffic hijacking bugs pop up every now and then and get fixed rather quickly. The context here is that these are Samsungs proprietary apps that dont fall under the protection of Google s Play Protect. Users
might think theyre safe because theyve not downloaded apps from risky places, or enabled dangerous permissions, when in reality, theyre not safe at all:
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Preinstalled system applications run with extra privileges than normal apps, cannot be removed by users, and operate outside Google Play Protect, the researchers warned. A single vulnerability affects hundreds of millions of devices globally through one vendor's distribution channel. The best
antivirus for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best antivirus 1. Best overall: Bitdefender Total Security 2. Best for families: Norton 360 with LifeLock 3. Best for mobile: McAfee Mobile Security Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/samsung-patches-nearly-200-security-iss ues-on-its-phone-hardware-heres-what-you-need-to-know


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)