Open Source and Free Software

ItsjustMe

(11,799 posts) Sat Mar 18, 2023, 06:06 PM Mar 2023

Google warns millions to change WiFi setting over security issues: check if your phone is affected

Google warns millions to change WiFi setting over security issues: check if your phone is affected

Millions of Android users may be affected by vulnerabilities in the system.

Google strongly advises people with these devices to protect themselves by tweaking two features.

Google issued a ‘severe’ alert to millions of Android users advising them to stitch off two dangerous settings as soon as possible.

According to Google's Project Zero team which is dedicated to security research, the vulnerabilities impact phones as well as cars. They found a total of eighteen vulnerabilities.

Only a select few Android devices are impacted. They include the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 from Google and Samsung's S22, M33, M13, M12, A71, A53, A33, A21s, A13, A12 and A04.

Mobile devices from Vivo, including those in the S16, S15, S6, X70, X60 and X30 series, are affected too.

Any vehicles that use an Exynos Auto T5123 chipset are also at risk.

The impacted devices use one of Samsung's modems.

2 replies

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Google warns millions to change WiFi setting over security issues: check if your phone is affected (Original Post) ItsjustMe Mar 2023 OP

I turned off wifi calling, but I sure can't find that LTE setting. viva la Mar 2023 #1

I think it depends on the carrier. I also could not find the LTE part. Snarkoleptic Mar 2023 #2

viva la

(3,854 posts)

1. I turned off wifi calling, but I sure can't find that LTE setting.

Reply to ItsjustMe (Original post)

Sat Mar 18, 2023, 06:53 PM

Mar 2023

I hope Samsung gets a fix in quick.

Snarkoleptic

(6,048 posts)

2. I think it depends on the carrier. I also could not find the LTE part.

Reply to viva la (Reply #1)

Sat Mar 18, 2023, 07:41 PM

Mar 2023

Here's an article dated 3/17/23-
https://9to5google.com/2023/03/17/wi-fi-calling-off/

The presence of VoLTE settings is purely dependent on what carrier you’re using and whether or not your phone is unlocked. If the setting is missing, there likely isn’t anything you can do to shut it off. To be sure, you can always search the setting menu for “VoLTE” and see if a setting appears. On the Pixel 6, VoLTE can’t be disabled since it looks like software updates in 2021 automatically enabled VoLTE and removed the toggle.

So long as Wi-FI Calling is turned off and VoLTE is disabled – if possible – your device should be more protected from the Exynos vulnerability. It’s reasonable to believe Google will release quick security patches to fix the issue in the coming days.

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