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Samsung has been rolling out the May 2023 Android security patch to a few new Galaxy devices every day over the past few days. The latest models to join the party include the Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy A53 5G, and Galaxy A13. More Samsung smartphones should receive this month’s security update in the coming days. The May SMR (Security Maintenance Release) patches more than 70 security flaws in Galaxy devices.
The latest update for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra is initially rolling out in Europe. Samsung has released the new SMR in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Switzerland with the firmware build number G99*BXXU7EWE1. It should soon cover the rest of Europe and other global markets as well, including the US. According to the official changelog, the 2021 Galaxy flagships are getting some stability and reliability improvements along with the latest security patch. There aren’t any new features here, though.
The May SMR for the Galaxy A53 5G, meanwhile, is initially available in Latin America. The new update has already reached several countries in the region, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Paraguay, Guatemala, and Bolivia. A global rollout should be just around the corner. The new SMR for this premium mid-range phone bears the build number A536EXXS5CWE1 in Latin America (via). Unlike the Galaxy S21 flagships, it isn’t getting anything apart from the latest security fixes.
The Galaxy A13 also recently started picking up the May SMR. Samsung is pushing the latest security update to this phone in Latin America and the US. More precisely, users in Colombia, Paraguay, and Puerto Rico are getting this update. The new firmware version for the former two markets is A135MUBS3BWD2, while that for the latter is A135U1UES3BWD2. Note that the May SMR is currently only available for the unlocked variant of the Galaxy A13 in the US region. Carrier-locked units may receive it later.
Galaxy devices are getting plenty of security fixes with the May 2023 update
As said earlier, Samsung’s May security update patches more than 70 vulnerabilities. The company itself patches about 20 issues exclusive to its smartphones and tablets. The remaining 50-odd patches are for Android OS issues and come from Google and other partner vendors. At least six vulnerabilities patched this month were critical. They could cause extensive damage to the victim if a threat actor exploited them before being patched. If you’re using any of the aforementioned Galaxy devices, these security patches should be available to you soon.