Firmware
Samsung’s October 2022 Security Patches Fix 32 Vulnerabilities
In recent years, Samsung has been actively updating the software on its market-available smartphones, particularly in security. It is well-known that monthly patches are delivered on time, frequently even before the reference month.
According to official documentation compiled by Samsung, the latest October 2022 security patches include fixes for as many as 32 vulnerabilities; 1 is labeled as critical, 29 have high priority, and 2 moderate.
As usual, the South Korean manufacturer had already hinted at the arrival of the new monthly security patch and the update we saw on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S21 at the end of September.
Samsung chooses the term Security Maintenance Release (SMR) to describe its own security updates, which are always split into two parts: Google’s monthly security fixes for the Android operating system and those specially selected by Samsung for its devices.
Going into the merits of the fixes that were implemented this month, the official website reveals a total number of 50, consisting of 32 referred to CVEs from this month’s Android security bulletin and 18 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE).
In this update, Samsung fixed security vulnerabilities found in Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Some of those vulnerabilities allowed unauthorized users to access call information, the device’s serial number, configuration data, and secure memory content and allowed them to perform malicious actions. In addition, we are talking about vulnerabilities specific to Galaxy with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ and 865 SoCs. For more details, please refer to the official website.
The October 2022 security patches are being deployed to all Samsung models supported by the monthly update program. Clearly, the timing can vary as much depending on the smartphone model as on the geographical location.
Samsung models will receive October 2022 security patches
Also for the list of devices that will surely receive the October 2022 security patches, simply visit the manufacturer’s website: on this page you will find the lists of Samsung devices that are recipients of monthly, quarterly and semi-annual updates. The list of the first includes:
- Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Fold 5G, Galaxy Z Fold2, Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Galaxy Z Fold4 5G, Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, Galaxy Z Flip4 5G.
- Galaxy S10 Lite
- Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 5G, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20+ 5G, Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, Galaxy S20 FE, Galaxy S20 FE 5G, Galaxy S21 5G, Galaxy S21+ 5G, Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, Galaxy S21 FE 5G Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, Galaxy S22 Ultra.
- Galaxy Note10 Lite, Galaxy Note20, Galaxy Note20 5G, Galaxy Note20 Ultra, Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
- Enterprise Models: Galaxy A52, Galaxy A52 5G, Galaxy A52s 5G, Galaxy A53 5G, Galaxy Xcover FieldPro, Galaxy Xcover Pro, Galaxy Xcover5, Galaxy Xcover6 Pro.
Firmware
Galaxy XCover6 and XCover7 Get Boost: Second April 2024 Update Brings LTE TDD Support to Europe
Samsung is consistently rolling out a new update to the Galaxy device, which aims to enhance network connectivity. The new software is coming under the second April 2024 security patch. After introducing the update to the popular devices, it has started rolling out the update to the Galaxy XCover7 and Galaxy XCover6 Pro.
Samsung Galaxy XCover6 and XCover7 get support LTE TDD
Notably, the Galaxy XCover7 and Galaxy XCover6 Pro are getting new updates with the firmware version numbers G556BXXU2AXD6 and G736BXXU5DXD2, respectively. The update is exclusively available in Europe.
With the new update, the company has rolled out a new band as LTE TDD; however, the company hasn’t provided any details about the changes, but it is expected that the company will improve the overall speeds or provide stable connections to the 4G-enabled devices.
According to the changelog, models purchased in Germany cannot receive signals in LTE TDD bands in the following countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic.
If you are using the Galaxy XCover 7 or Galaxy XCover 6 Pro in any European country, then you can now update these devices by simply going to the software update menu in the system settings. If the update has not arrived on your device yet, then you have to wait for some time, as it takes time to reach every unit of the devices.
Samsung has recently rolled out an April 2024 security patch update in the Galaxy S23 device. With the last update, it provided security-related enhancements, and now, with the same changelog, the UAE units of the device are getting a second security patch update.
Users of the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra are receiving new updates with the firmware S911BXXS4CXD8, S916BXXS4CXD8, and S918BXXS4CXD8, respectively.
As mentioned above, the latest update is coming with the same changelog; therefore, it is unclear what’s new with the update. Hopefully, the update will fix some bugs and improve the functionality of the devices. It is worth noticing that the update is coming after Android 14 and One UI 6.1, so the company may fix the internal issues.
On the other side, the company hasn’t published any official information about it, but if you are using the Galaxy S23 device in Middle Eastern countries, then you should update your device to the latest version by simply going to the software update menu, and if it shows the April 2024 security update is available, then tap on the download button.
Informatively, the Galaxy S23 device was launched back in 2023 and comes with Android 13. The latest version of the device has received one major update in the form of Android 14 and also provides the One UI 6.1 update, which has provided several new features. To get up-to-date features, the device will get three more major updates in the future that will enhance the working of the device.
Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 is one of the rugged smartphones that is dedicatedly made for using it in any weather condition. It is worth noticing that the company hasn’t limited it to giving tough hardware but also keeps it up to date with its fresh software. In the last major update, Android 14, it has grabbed some new features, and unfortunately, it has also got an issue with the camera, which is causing inconvenience to the users.
Galaxy XCover5 getting a camera issue after Android 14
The Galaxy XCover 5 has received Android 14 and One UI 6.0, and after installing them, users have started reporting about the camera issue. In the reports, the consumers have pointed out that they are not able to use the camera focus like before. Since the camera is the most frequently used feature of the smartphone, its malfunction is significantly affecting the overall performance of the devices.
Due to the malfunctioning of the autofocus, users are also having difficulty making payments due to the autofocus malfunction. When they open the QR code scanner, they are unable to do so because the camera is not focusing on the code.
However, the Korean giant hasn’t yet released a statement regarding the issue’s resolution, despite the fact that the issue surfaced after the last update, suggesting a software update-related problem. Hopefully, Samsung could release a proper update that will update it to the latest version.