What you need to know
- Samsung's January security update arrived with about 51 patches focused on blocking vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to read or execute codes on the user's device without permission.
- The Samsung Galaxy S24 series was the first to receive the update in Korea, and now the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Galaxy Z Fold SE have been added to the list.
- Five "Critical" level fixes alongside 24 "High" level fixes that address issues with Samsung’s Messages, Notification Manager, and Bootloader.
Samsung is starting its year with a fresh patch of updates for its devices. The company's security update came in hot with about 51 patches that include 21 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures(SVEs), which are specific to Samsung. The rest of the 29 patches are Android bug fixes.
These patches aim to improve the security of the devices as part of Samsung's monthly Security Maintenance Release (SMR) process. The update was first rolled out to the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in South Korea for users who have the One UI 7 Beta 3 update. Today (Jan. 9), the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Galaxy Z Fold SE received the security update.
A bulk of these patches focused on blocking vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to read or execute codes on the user's device without permission, and one of them even changed the configuration of device notifications without the user's knowledge on Android versions 12, 13, and 14. (Via SamMobile).
While Samsung didn't disclose what these vulnerabilities exactly were, Samsung's patch changelog mentions five "Critical" level fixes alongside 24 "High" level fixes. They address issues with Samsung’s Messages, Notification Manager, and Bootloader.
As of today, this security patch is available only on carrier-locked units in the U.S. and all devices in South Korea. However, according to its website, Samsung plans on releasing this update to all above-mentioned devices globally and said that "delivery time of security patches may vary depending on the regions and models."
Users can check for an update on their devices by heading to Settings > System & updates > Security update. Don't be too bumped if you didn't receive the update yet as it has been rolling out in phases.
Meanwhile, Pixel devices also received its January patch this week, rolling out for devices Pixel 6 and up. There were bug fixes for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series, but the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series only get security improvements.
Samsung is currently swamped planning for its next big Unpacked event set to take place on January 22 in California, finally revealing the Galaxy S25 series and stable One UI 7 to the world. For more about what we expect from this year's flagships, you can check out our ultimate Galaxy S25 guide.
