Flaw In Installed Samsung Browser May Allow An Attacker To Be You

A security researcher has been hard at work over the holidays and has found an issue with the installed default browser on Samsung devices. Essentially, it violates a security mechanism where an attacker can steal the information from one browser and take actions that are on behalf of the victims; whether they want those actions to happen or not, such as write webmail that appears to come from the victims.

This flaw, in the Same Origin Policy (SOP) affects all versions of the Samsung Internet Browser up to and including version 5.4.02.3.

Samsung has already fixed this and is being preloaded into the upcoming Galaxy Note 8. It also said a patch will be included in the App store in October, which seems a long ways off. However, whenever you are notified a patch is available, make sure you apply it right away.

Also, be aware of potential phishing attacks. If you or one of your contacts gets caught out by this, it could mean email messages appear in your in box that look like they come from you or your contact. Since people are more likely to open attachments and click links when they are sent from someone familiar, this becomes more dangerous. So always do a separate confirmation with the sender using the phone, a separate text, or a visit to his or her desk before opening any link or attachment that you are not expecting to see.

Since this attack would require victims to visit sites controlled by attackers, it is important to also be cautious when browsing to websites. Be sure to check the spellings of the sites before hitting the “return” key so that you are indeed going to the site you intend to visit. This is especially important when visiting sites that have sensitive information, such as your financial institution or healthcare websites.