Samsung has started rolling out One UI 5.1, a minor upgrade over One UI 5.0 with some features and optimization improvements. The company has improved its Message Guard with One UI 5.1, which protects users from “zero-click” cyberattacks that could compromise users’ devices without user consent.
For example, it could inject malicious code through image attachments, and this functionality works with Samsung Messages and Messages by Google. This feature is enabled by default and doesn’t require user action. However, the latest version is currently available for the Galaxy S23 and is expected to roll out gradually to other Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets later this year with One UI 5.1.
Zero-Click Cyberattack
If you are unfamiliar with zero-click exploits, they are the most recent cybersecurity threats that can exploit users’ devices without any action or interaction. You may have heard about zero-day vulnerabilities, bugs that have not been discovered or known to the developers.
When someone sends any malicious code or attachment to your device with a message, then your device gets exploited without any action or even opening the message. As such, no incident has been reported with any Galaxy smartphone or tablet. Furthermore, One UI includes several safeguards to protect users from exploits, including Message Guard.
With such an attack, an attacker can control your data and send it to them. Therefore, it bypasses all the security measures like asking for a password, PIN, or anything. An attacker can read and view every file on your device, including personal information.
Samsung’s Message Guard
It isolates the file and has an advanced sandbox, which the company calls “Virtual Quarantine,” that analyses the file and keeps it in a controlled environment so it doesn’t exploit the operating system of Galaxy smartphones.
According to a Verizon report, data breaches and exploitation are becoming more common these days, especially with smartphones, as there is a lack of protection. Samsung also has the Knox platform to focus on these things, and Samsung’s Message Guard is a part of it, which is among the preemptive protections for Galaxy device users from cyberattacks.
