Security Flaw In Galaxy Note II Lockscreen Gives Total Device Control

A new security flaw has been discovered in the lockscreen of Samsung Galaxy Note II. This flaw effectively puts the entire device at risk as intruders can easily gain total control of the device. That means access to any or all sensitive data stored on it. Basically the lockscreen can be disabled even if the device is protected by a pattern, password, PIN or even face detection. The flaw is not present on stock Android from Google. It is present in Samsung’s 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 Android version for the Galaxy Note II. Only limited to the Note II, as the flaw reportedly does not have any effect on Galaxy S III.

The method for gaining total control of a Galaxy Note II isn’t exactly easy. Certain steps are required to be done to increase the timing of a screen that the Note II briefly flashes, when the back button is pressed to exit the emergency dialer. The aim is to launch Google Play Store through which an app can be downloaded to disable the lockscreen altogether. Samsung says that it will release a fix for this at the earliest possibility. This happens to be the second security flaw discovered on a Galaxy Note II in March. So while we wait for a fix to drop, its probably a good idea to be extra careful about your Galaxy Note II.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Galaxy Note 2, Samsung