Samsung working to patch flaw that allows total bypass of Galaxy lock screens

Samsung (005930) says it’s working hard to patch a security flaw in its Galaxy phones that could let people completely bypass the devices’ lock screens. A company spokesperson tells AllThingsD that Samsung is “aware of this issue and will release a fix at the earliest possibility” without providing any details about when a patch might be released. The security flaw, exposed by blogger Terence Eden on Wednesday, is a fairly involved process that requires hackers to repeatedly dial non-existent numbers into Galaxy devices’ emergency calling screen. Doing this briefly opens up the device’s home screen for less than a second, which gives quick-fingered users the ability to activate voice commands and download lock screen bypassing applications from Google Play. Exploiting this flaw requires a good deal of patience and it’s unlikely to be used by all but the most determined hackers, but it’s nice to see that Samsung is already on top of it. A video explaining the security flaw is posted below.