Samsung has published information about the security fixes included in the October 2023 patch on the Samsung Mobile Security website. The patch fixes 12 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE), which are vulnerabilities that affect Galaxy devices, along with two critical vulnerabilities and a couple dozen high-risk vulnerabilities in the core Android OS.
October 2023 patch addresses 12 vulnerabilities in Samsung's software
Some of the Samsung-exclusive vulnerabilities fixed in the October patch include the possibility of attackers installing a different version of an app on a device if they have physical access to it, enabling and connecting to Wi-Fi networks without the user's permission, executing harmful code remotely, and getting the CPU serial number by bypassing required permissions. The patch also fixes some vulnerabilities that haven't been disclosed at this time to ensure that they aren't exploited before the security fixes have reached users.
Samsung hasn't released October security updates for any device as of October 4, 2023, but that should start to change in the coming days. Recent flagship and mid-range devices, like the Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy A54, could be among the first to get this patch, though there's no way to be sure as Samsung doesn't follow any particular order when it comes to security updates.
As always, any new update for your device will be available over the air through its Settings » Software update menu. Those updates will also be available in our firmware archive for manual installation using a Windows PC; our archive is also a great way to check how secure your Galaxy phone or tablet is.
Samsung will also stop releasing updates for some devices, such as the Galaxy Tab S6, going forward, while devices like the Galaxy M32 and Galaxy F42 5G will receive security updates only twice a year from now on instead of every three months.
