Skip to main content

Another lock screen bypass bug found in Samsung's Android phones 

Since lockscreen bypass methods are apparently what's hot in the streets, it's no surprise that yet another one has surfaced, this time targeting Samsung's Android phones. A variant of another, earlier uncovered method, this one does not fully unlock the phone by itself, but does provide access to apps and settings for a brief period. Given that, as demonstrated in the video by Terrence Eden, it's possible to use Google Play to download an app to disable the locked screen and fully access the phone.
According to Terrence, this problem is confirmed on the Galaxy Note II, possibly the Galaxy S III and potentially on other TouchWiz UI Samsung Android phones. Disabling screen animations under developer options should reduce the vulnerability, but doesn't eliminate it without switching to another ROM. He also mentions Samsung is aware of the issue and is working on a fix, but that leaves phones accessible right now. We've certainly seen enough of these recently (Apple's latest version of iOS has also been victimized again in the last day) to know leaving our phones out, locked or unlocked, is foolish. At the same time, if a manufacturer insists on adding customized software to the existing platform, it could at least have the courtesy to do so without causing security leaks.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

What do you Think about This Article? Share Your Comments Here

Popular posts from this blog

LG’s first flexible OLED phone due before the year is out

LG plans to launch a flexible OLED smartphone before the end of the year, the company’s VP of mobile has confirmed, though it’s unclear to what extent the work-in-progress handset will actually flex. The OLED panel in question is the handiwork of LG Display according to VP of LG mobile Yoon Bu-hyun, the WSJ  reports, with the proposed device set to launch sometime in Q4. LG Display’s work on flexible OLEDs has been underway for some time, though the company’s efforts have perhaps been overshadowed somewhat by rival Samsung’s YOUM development. Last year, according to a Korea Times report, LG Display was preparing for
Post a Comment
Full Story »

Bing Apps for Windows 8 get major updates

Late least year, Microsoft rolled out a half dozen Bing Apps for Windows 8 users, each one focused on a specific category, such as travel and sports. The apps were designed to offer “immersive vertical experiences,” and now, about six months later, a big line of updates for them is being pushed out. Users can grab the updates now by heading into the Windows Store and selecting the updates notification.
Post a Comment
Full Story »

Syrian Electronic Army claims credit for CBS Twitter accounts hack

Yesterday, several of CBS ’s Twitter accounts were hacked, including its main account, and its accounts for 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, and CBS Denver. The hackers got into the account and tweeted a series of things relating to President Obama and the United States being in cahoots with Al-Qaeda . The tweets also had links that led users to malware-infested sites. While CBS was able to regain access to its accounts, it was unable to figure out who was behind the attacks, until now. The Syrian Electronic Army , the same group that hacked 3 of the BBC’s Twitter accounts, claimed
Post a Comment
Full Story »