Samsung Galaxy S24 Security Disaster: How a Built-In App Left Millions at Risk

Written By Noel Bradford
Photorealistic scene of a compromised Samsung Galaxy S24 under digital forensic investigation, with screen glitches, security breach alerts, and a symbolic Android vulnerability overlay.

Congratulations! You just spent the best part of a grand on a Samsung Galaxy S24—one of the most hyped, most expensive Android phones on the planet. And what did you get in return? A shiny slab of glass, some flashy AI tricks, and a critical security vulnerability baked right into the operating system. All courtesy of a bloated, useless, preinstalled app you didn’t ask for and can’t remove.

No shady downloads. No sketchy sideloading. Just your brand-new flagship phone, straight out of the box, already compromised. You can’t make this shit up.

The Vulnerability: Built-In, Broken, and Bullshit

According to CyberSecurityNews, this magical mess came via a preinstalled Samsung app that apparently never went through a basic security review. The vulnerability it introduced? Remote code execution and privilege escalation. In plain English: a remote attacker could gain access to your personal data, install malware, and take over your device.

And yes—it shipped like this. This wasn’t some rogue developer sneaking malware into the Play Store. This was Samsung. The manufacturer. Your phone’s security Achilles’ heel came factory-fitted.

Premium Phone, Bargain Bin Oversight

You’d think that when you spend flagship money, you’d get flagship security. But no. What you actually got was a lesson in how little these companies give a damn about basic software hygiene. Instead of properly vetting what gets shoved into your phone, they just load it with their own crap and hope no one notices.

That’s right—bloatware isn’t just annoying anymore. It’s a full-blown liability. It clogs your phone, eats your storage, and now it opens the door to hackers. Brilliant.

Déjà Vu: We've Seen This Dumpster Fire Before

This isn’t new. This isn’t surprising. This is Android’s toxic ecosystem problem on full display. Samsung is just the latest in a long line of phone makers pushing broken-by-design devices out the door.

Let’s recap:

  • Samsung has form—plenty of it. They’ve shipped vulnerable apps before.

  • OEMs and carriers continue to load garbage apps onto phones.

  • You can’t remove most of them without rooting the phone (and voiding your warranty).

It’s like buying a new car and discovering the dealer welded a suitcase full of explosives under the bonnet “for convenience.”

Why This Actually Matters

Still think this is just a nerd problem? Your phone holds your passwords, banking apps, emails, medical records, work accounts, location history, and yes—probably your nudes. When a vulnerability like this shows up on a flagship phone, it’s not an inconvenience—it’s a goddamn security crisis.

If you’re handing these phones out to staff, congratulations—you’ve just handed a loaded gun to your supply chain. Hope your cyber insurance is paid up.

What You Can Actually Do (Besides Screaming Into the Void)

  1. Manually check for updates. Don’t wait for Samsung to admit fault.

  2. Strip out bloatware using ADB. If you’re tech-savvy, get rid of it. If you’re not, find someone who is.

  3. Install mobile EDR. Assume you're being targeted. Because you are.

  4. Stop buying phones that lock you out of your own damn device.

Final Thought: Flagship My Arse

Samsung’s Galaxy S24 was meant to be their best phone yet. And instead, it’s a bloody embarrassment. It’s a reminder that in the Android world, shiny hardware doesn’t mean smart software. It means more gimmicks, more preloaded rubbish, and more attack surface for hackers.

We deserve better. But we won’t get it until people stop tolerating this nonsense. Until users start demanding control over their own devices. Until vendors are actually held accountable for shipping security holes disguised as “features.”

So yes—shout about it. Mock it. Call it what it is: a flagship failure with the security posture of a rooted toaster.

Noel Bradford

Noel Bradford – Head of Technology at Equate Group, Professional Bullshit Detector, and Full-Time IT Cynic

As Head of Technology at Equate Group, my job description is technically “keeping the lights on,” but in reality, it’s more like “stopping people from setting their own house on fire.” With over 40 years in tech, I’ve seen every IT horror story imaginable—most of them self-inflicted by people who think cybersecurity is just installing antivirus and praying to Saint Norton.

I specialise in cybersecurity for UK businesses, which usually means explaining the difference between ‘MFA’ and ‘WTF’ to directors who still write their passwords on Post-it notes. On Tuesdays, I also help further education colleges navigate Cyber Essentials certification, a process so unnecessarily painful it makes root canal surgery look fun.

My natural habitat? Server rooms held together with zip ties and misplaced optimism, where every cable run is a “temporary fix” from 2012. My mortal enemies? Unmanaged switches, backups that only exist in someone’s imagination, and users who think clicking “Enable Macros” is just fine because it makes the spreadsheet work.

I’m blunt, sarcastic, and genuinely allergic to bullshit. If you want gentle hand-holding and reassuring corporate waffle, you’re in the wrong place. If you want someone who’ll fix your IT, tell you exactly why it broke, and throw in some unsolicited life advice, I’m your man.

Technology isn’t hard. People make it hard. And they make me drink.

https://noelbradford.com
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