Though it sound scary, but a new security research found that most of the Samsung Galaxy phones with pre-installed Swiftkey app are vulnerable to hackers. Samsung Galaxy devices including Galaxy S4, Galaxy s5 and Galaxy S6 are affected by this bug.
The security issue was first discovered by Ryan Welton. According to NowSecure, the problem is with SwiftKey app which comes pre-installed on Samsung phones. When SwiftKey updates language packs it does so on an encrypted line. According to Ryan Welton, hackers can create a fake server and can send malicious software to the device. After installing malicious code, hackers can monitor incoming and outgoing calls, read messages, steal photos and can also install other applications.
Though Samsung is already aware about th problem and already patched the bug, still many US carriers have not updated the Galaxy smartphones on their network.
If you are too much worried, we have some good news for you. Though the problem is quite serious but chances are rare that your device will be attacked through this vulnerability. A hacker can only use this method via a public Wi-Fi network, like those found at a coffee shop, hotel, or other public spaces. More importantly, a hacker has to have knowledge of this exploit and has to be on the same network as you. Chances are very slim that a hacker who knows about this security flaw will be at your local Starbucks at the same exact time as you.
As Samsung already has a fix for this problem, we are sure most carriers will soon update the Galaxy devices on their network to get rid of this problem.
