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Samsung issues a fix for Galaxy S III reset exploit

Do your worst, malicious links

Samsung issues a fix for Galaxy S III reset exploit
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Yesterday, a rather alarming exploit affecting the Samsung Galaxy S III emerged. By just tapping on a particular HTML link, you could completely wipe your handset.

It seems the malicious link could tell the phone to dial its hard reset code (*2767*3855#, if you're wondering). The exploit can also be triggered by scanning in a dodgy QR code.

Fortunately, Samsung has acted swiftly to issue a fix. The company has issued the following statement:

"We would like to assure our customers that the recent security issue concerning the Galaxy S III has already been resolved through a software update. We recommend all Galaxy S III customers to download the latest software update, which can be done quickly and easily via the Over-The-Air (OTA) service."

Our own Mike Rose checked his Samsung Galaxy S III (he's a big fan) and received a "No update available" message.

Better to be safe...

It seems that most versions of the Galaxy S III firmware have already been patched to close off this loophole, so if you haven't received an update message - like our Mike - you're probably safe.

Still, don't go prodding any suspicious email links until you've checked for firmware updates, eh? In fact, don't go prodding them at all.

The Verge
Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.