To protect Galaxy smartphone users from so-called “zero-click” exploits that use malicious picture files, Samsung has created a new security solution called Samsung Message Guard. According to the Korean tech giant, its new security system will be able to identify these dangers as soon as they arrive as messages on the device and stop them before they can cause any harm.
Zero-click exploits are complex threats that take advantage of a weakness without requiring user engagement. Generally, attacks relying on zero-click exploits include sending the intended recipient a message or file containing malicious code to exploit a device vulnerability and gain access to the target without the recipient’s knowledge.
Famous zero-click assaults used the iMessage KISMET and FORCEDENTRY exploits to target journalists and activists with NSO’s Pegasus spyware. Apple made an effort to reduce these security risks by releasing Lockdown Mode, a high-risk user operating option that restricts functionality while boosting device security.
Samsung Message Guard
Newly received image files in the PNG, JPG/JPEG, GIF, ICO, WEBP, BMP, and WBMP formats are temporarily hosted in an isolated virtual space called Samsung Message Guard on the smartphone.
The system examines the files to see whether any harmful code is there. If so, they are quarantined, locked, and barred from connecting with or gaining access to the underlying operating system.
Samsung states in the feature announcement that “Samsung Message Guard automatically neutralizes any potential threat hiding in image files before they have an opportunity to cause you any harm.”
It also requires no user activation and operates silently and largely invisibly in the background. The Samsung.
The new security system is an addition to Samsung’s many already-existing layers of protection, most notably Samsung Knox, which may provide malware protection and real-time threat detection.
For the Friday-released Galaxy S23, Samsung Message Guard is already accessible. Later in 2023, it will progressively roll out to other Galaxy devices running One UI 5.1 or higher.
Conclusion
Samsung has developed a new smartphone feature meant to safeguard user devices against dangers disguised as image attachments. The new feature, dubbed “Message Guard,” is presently supported by both the Messages by Google and Samsung Messages apps. According to the company’s blog post from Friday, “in keeping with Samsung’s concept of open collaboration, a software update will go out at a later time to let Samsung Message Guard secure you across third-party messaging apps as well.”
The advanced sandbox layer that isolates picture files from the rest of the device is known technically as Message Guard. The company said doing so “prevents harmful programs from accessing your phone’s files or interacting with its operating system.” To make sure it cannot infect the rest of your device, Samsung Message Guard analyses the file in a controlled environment and bit-by-bit checks it.
