As per Samsung’s updated security bulletin, the October SMR contains fixes for more than three dozen software vulnerabilities found on Google’s Android OS. These include as many as six critical and dozens of high-risk vulnerabilities. Additionally, apart from the Google patches, the latest security update also fixes 32 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) items. These are privacy and security issues that only affect the Korean firm’s devices, including smartphones and tablets. At least three of the SVEs patched with this month’s SMR were of critical severity, the company says. These include an issue that allowed illegal use of SMC call (Secure Monitor Call) to compromise TEE (trusted execution environment) due to an improper caller check logic. Another patched SVE allowed an untrusted application to overwrite Bluetooth information due to improper access control in BluetoothSettingsProvider. You can find Samsung’s detailed security bulletin for October 2021 here.
Samsung reveals what vulnerabilities have been fixed with the October security patch
As expected, Samsung was the first Android OEM to release this month’s security update. The rollout began in the last week of September, with the Galaxy S21 series having the distinction of picking it first. The Korean firm has since seeded the October SMR to a bunch of Galaxy smartphones and tablets. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 foldables followed soon after, while the Galaxy Z20 and Galaxy Note 20 flagships joined the party a couple of days later. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy S20 FE 5G have also picked up the latest security update over the past few days. Along with the flagship models, Samsung has also released the new SMR to some mid-rangers. These include the Galaxy A50, Galaxy A8 (2018), and the Galaxy F62. The Galaxy Tab Active 3 also recently joined the party. It’s pertinent to mention here that the October security update for the above-mentioned devices isn’t yet available globally. The rollout has begun in different parts of the world. It will gradually expand to more regions over the course of this month. Meanwhile, you can expect Samsung to push the new update to more eligible devices in the coming days. If you’re using a Samsung smartphone, you can check for updates by navigating to Settings » Software update on your phone.
