A warning has been issued to Samsung Galaxy owners, urging them to check their Android phones now.
Millions of users of the popular device have been urged to make sure they have the latest version of the Galaxy App Store installed on their phones.
Experts have discovered a vulnerability within this application that may see hackers install software onto Samsung's smartphones without the permission of the users.
This comes as the latest warning from security experts, as they say that cyber thieves who install this software onto devices can steal personal data, such as user names and passwords.
The threat was discovered by the team at NCC Group who notified Samsung about the vulnerability late last year.
It is now vital, they say, that users check their phones and make sure that everything is up to date as updating the device will fix the glitch, according to the South Korean technology giant.
NCC Group explains: "The Galaxy App Store is an alternative application store that comes pre-installed on Samsung Android devices.
"It was found that the Galaxy App Store has an exported activity which does not handle incoming intents in a safe manner. This allows other applications installed on the same Samsung device to automatically install any application available on the Galaxy App Store without the user’s knowledge."
The issue affects all phones running Android 12 and older.
Those that use Android 13-powered devices appear to unaffected, but they have been advised to check for any security updates.
On advising users about the need to update their phones, the NCC Group added: "For Samsung devices running Android 12 or lower, Samsung has released an updated version of the Galaxy App Store (version 4.5.49.8). Users should open the Galaxy App Store on their phone, and if prompted, download and install the latest version.
"This issue does not affect devices running Android 13. Users should still update their Galaxy App Store to the latest version to address potentially other issues."
As well as fixing this app bug, the Galaxy App Store update also eradicates another problem that allowed hackers to add malicious hyperlinks.
This could leave Galaxy users who clicked on them open to attack.
But this security risk has also now been patched but only once the very latest version of the Galaxy App Store is downloaded.
How to update software on Samsung phone?
Samsung periodically releases software updates. It is important to regularly update your phone as updates bring new features and more security to your device.
- Go to Settings
- Tap Software update
- Then tap on Download and install
- If new software is available, you can choose Install now, Schedule install or Later. If you already have software that is up to date, you will be notified that 'Your software is up to date'.
Samsung has a big few weeks ahead with the company confirming that it will launch a new Android device on February 1. Although not confirmed, it seems almost certain that the launch will be all about the Galaxy S23 range which will replace the current S22 as the firm's top-end flagship.
Major hints from the firm suggest this new breed of phones will feature improved photography and a much fast processor.
