According to a developer, the most popular devices made by the Korean tech giant may be susceptible to malware-infested apps. This is due to a security flaw in Samsung’s Exynos 4 processors.
Alephzain, an XDA Developers member, says that an issue has been found while finding alternative ways of rooting the Samsung Galaxy S3. The problem is with the Exynos 4 chipset. Theoretically, any app can extract information from the device’s RAM or infect the kernel with malicious code.
Alephzain writes, “RAM dump, kernel code injection and others could be possible via app installation from Play Store.” This issue could also affect the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy Note 2.
Alephzain adds, “The good news is we can easily obtain root on these devices, and the bad is there is no control over it.”
Fortunately, there is a way prevent the issue from attracting malware. However, it does involve changing the handset’s code. Sadly, doing so will render the S3’s camera useless. Developer AndreiLux says, “Removing either read or write permissions will kill the camera. I didn’t see any other deterioration in anything else.”
It looks like Samsung is also looking into the issue. Speaking to CNET UK, the Korean tech giant said, “We are currently in the process of conducting an internal review.”
A security flaw that leaves devices susceptible to malware is not good at all, especially if it involves three of the most popular Android devices in the market. We’re hoping Samsung addresses the issue as soon as possible. Otherwise, this will give buyers an excuse to look the other way.
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