Android security patches

[SKYMAN513]

Sorry people ship is a long one.

There has been loads of rumours about how often security patch updates are being released 

But what is not rumour and from my own experience  some of us are the last to get the security updates

Some got one in April 

My last one was 1 Feb and I have just received one in the last week 

So on researching it there was found 

42 vulnerabilities in android itself not mentioning the apps on top.

so my concern is, some of us are the last to get the updates that must mean from when the first patches are rolled out and to when the last ones get rolled out surely the ones who get it last are even more vulnerable especially as they release the patches that have been fixed they release the details

And the 42 vulnerabilities was not what I read from some ones post who could just be making a rumour and seeing how far it goes I have seen this on respected  android sites that do have forums but that is not there main feature the forums are just a place were people can discuss what's been said on the site itself that said the vulnerabilities have been found and fixed immediately 

But this is the bit that concerns me we all don't get them immediately.0 

I got my device on 2 feb and my security patch wks nov1 then I got 1 Feb in March with the nougat update and then I got the latest one last week which takes me to 1 may yet I've read on here some were getting them in April.

I check for updates manually every couple of days and has become habit now and OCD

I don't have a problem waiting for updates but I do have a problem with them releasing the vulnerabilities details before everyone get there update.

I hope it's nothing to worry about but definitely worth taking note.

And just to add this is not pointed at Vodafone as I'm 100%  sure the last thing they would want is a security breach

Samsung as a lot to answer as do Google trying to juggle to many balls at once to keep share holders happy (May be that's why share holders requested dividing Samsung up).

I love Samsung products I just think they have to many share holders to please it's a shame because they have created so many great things but it's always the bad one out of a hundred people remember

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @SKYMAN513

In my opinion these are the reasons people receive updates at different times. 

Samsung phones supplied by Vodafone are dependent on Vodafone signing off updates / firmware after testing and then Samsung are authorised to send them out. This can sometimes delay release. 

Updates are sent out in waves I believe determined by the phones serial number. This is to stop the servers from melting down.  This can then look like people are experiencing delays. 

My Samsung s8 is purchased from Samsung directly so my updates are not controlled by any network. This sometimes means I get updates before phones supplied by a network. 

Unfortunatley because Android is so fractured because the Networks add what they feel necessary on top of vanilla android this can cause delays. 

It's about time updates were like iOS where Apple send them out to all with no intervention by the networks. Unfortunately I don't see this happening any time soon as Apple create iOS thus have complete control. It isn't the same with Android. 

I agree it's important to keep up with Security Patches as soon as they become available in order to keep safe however I've yet to come across anyone who has been affected by viruses etc , including myself after using Android for years.

Have you ?

I'm not saying bad things can't happen but it's not the norm for it to occur. 

I try to keep safe by not sideloading using apk files (my choice) , not choosing to surf to dodgy sites or following links from unsolicited emails or site pages generally or on social media. 

[SKYMAN513]

You cleared a few things up for me here is a couple of paragraphs from a reputable site whilst I was searching for an answer for the guy in a previous thread about his s6 

Quote

"Samsung has announced the contents of this month’s maintenance update. As outlined over on the firm’s Security Blog, the upgrade addresses a total of 54 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in the Android OS and an additional 11 patches designed specifically for Galaxy smartphones.

Unfortunately, most of the patches are listed as “privately disclosed,” and that’s because Samsung can’t go into great detail as there are some bugs that may not have been discovered by hackers yet, and they may attempt to exploit them before the firmware is rolled out to all eligible devices."unquote which partly confirms what you have just said.

For me this is scary although you are correct I haven't been scammed yet but there has been a couple of attempts and these threats are getting more common but that could also be down to more people getting online so to speak.

I'm not brown nosing by saying this but coming on this forum and following yours and and a couple more CC'posts and GETAFIX I have learnt a load of knowledge I couldn't of picked up without a lot of searching." So once again thanks for your time and knowledge