Samsung took us by surprise when it released the April 2018 security patch for one of its devices at the end of last month, before details on what the patch contains were released by Google. But that's changing today, as both Google and Samsung have published information on the latest security maintenance release (SMR). Naturally, Google's Pixel and Nexus devices are already receiving an update with the latest patch, while Samsung will take a couple of weeks to get the update out to most devices and countries.
April 2018 security patch detailed
The April 2018 security patch brings fixes for seven critical vulnerabilities that affect Android, along with fixes for a slew of high and moderate risk vulnerabilities. Of course, there are a few fixes that are exclusive to Samsung's software, and the latest patch contains fixes for eight such vulnerabilities. At least one of those eight vulnerabilities is serious enough not to have been revealed in the April security bulletin, as that would allow hackers to take advantage before the update has reached everyone. And, considering not every patch gets released for a particular device in every country, information on such vulnerabilities is best left a secret.
With the newest security patch, Samsung has once again released the update for a non-flagship device first, and we're betting the next device to receive the April patch will be one of the company's mid-range Galaxy A smartphone. Of course, we'd be happy to lose such a bet and keep our fingers crossed that owners of the company's expensive flagship phones don't have to wait too long.
For complete information on the April 2018 security patch, check out the source links. Seeing the update on your Samsung device already? Tell us the name of the device and where you're from by leaving a comment!
