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Samsung has released the December 2023 Android security patch for the Galaxy S23 series in the US. The latest security update is available for carrier-locked units of all three models. Unlocked variants will also receive it soon. A global rollout should be just around the corner too.
Galaxy S23 phones receive the December security update in the US
The December SMR (Security Maintenance Release) for the carrier-locked Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra in the US comes with the firmware build number S91*USQS2BWKA. Unlocked units will get the update with a similar build number. The update is all about security fixes with no additional goodies. The phones picked up Android 14 and One UI 6.0 last month with tons of new features and improvements, so that’s understandable.
The Korean firm recently revealed that the December SMR fixes more than 60 vulnerabilities in Galaxy devices. These include 50 Android OS patches from Google, two Samsung Semiconductor patches, and 16 Galaxy-specific patches. Google has fixed seven critical security flaws in Android OS this month, some of which could lead to remote code execution with no additional execution privileges needed.
The two Samsung Semiconductor issues affect several Exynos chips but aren’t as severe, with the company classifying them as “moderate” in severity. The Galaxy-specific security flaws, aka Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE), include issues of varying severity across various system apps and services such as Contacts, Smart Clip, Knox Guard, Smart Manager, AR Emoji, Bootloader, Camera, and Knox Custom Manager Service.
All of these security fixes will reach the Galaxy S23 phones globally over the next few weeks. Samsung will also push them to other devices, including foldables and tablets. It may bundle the new security patch with Android 14 and One UI 6.0 for some models. Devices that have already received the Android 14 update will pick up a separate update with the December SMR. You can check for updates from the Settings app.
Most of the eligible Samsung products may receive Android 14 this year
Over the past five weeks or so, Samsung has released Android 14 for more than 20 Galaxy devices (not counting multiple models of the same series separately). It has dozens more awaiting the big update. The company plans to push the new Android version to most of the eligible Galaxy models before the end of this year. Simultaneously, it will release the December SMR for more devices. We will keep you posted on all of those releases.