Samsung Galaxy Security Alert: Disable 2G IMMEDIATELY

Countries worldwide started to shift to 5G networks for faster and more reliable networks. 2G is an old talk now but became limelight shortly after Google issued a critical security warning for Samsung Galaxy smartphone users.

Recently, Google Security Blog added a new article related to security. Pixel phones gained a toggle to completely disable 2G with Android 12. Samsung Galaxy devices in most countries lack this 2G toggle, which could lead users to security concerns.

Cell-site simulators, also known as FBS or Stingrays, are radio devices that mimic real cell sites to lure mobile devices to connect to them. These devices are commonly used for security attacks, such as surveillance and interception of communications.

“Working with global carriers and other OEMs through the GSMA to support the ecosystem in the development and adoption of further cellular security and privacy features is a priority area for Android.” – Google said in blog post.

SMS Blaster is the term that global carriers use to refer to FBS and cell-site simulators operated unlawfully to disseminate (blast) SMS payloads. They expose a fake LTE or 5G network that executes downgrading the user’s connection to a legacy 2G protocol.

There are several Android-only security features that can significantly mitigate, or in some cases fully block, the impact of this type of fraud. Android 12 introduced a user option to disable 2G at the modem level.

Samsung brought a toggle to disable the 2G network on Galaxy devices in some countries. However, Galaxy devices in most countries still don’t have this toggle within Settings. Google said it’s working with partners for the adoption of security features.