Samsung's Galaxy Wormhole: Yet Another Lesson in 'Trust But Verify'

Written By Noel Bradford

Another day, another major phone manufacturer cocking things up in a way so bad it deserves its own Netflix special. This time, it's Samsung — you know, the same folks who brought you exploding phones and Bixby. Turns out, some Galaxy devices were carrying around a nice, fat wormhole-sized vulnerability that attackers could use to access your device's security hardware.

Yes. Security hardware. The stuff that's meant to protect you. Nice job, lads.

If you missed the news (and judging by Samsung's PR machine, they were hoping you would), researchers found an "inadvertent" access point into the device’s "Secure Element" — the tiny vault inside your phone that keeps biometrics, encryption keys, and sensitive data safe.

Except, thanks to this little oopsie, attackers could tap into that Secure Element without needing physical access to your device.

"Inadvertent" Access — Yeah, Right

Samsung’s excuse? The access was "inadvertent." Oh, well that’s alright then! Just like leaving your front door wide open while you pop down the shops is "inadvertent". No biggie.

The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-4329, affects Galaxy devices using the Exynos chipsets — including some flagship models sold globally. No warning. No proactive disclosure. They quietly fixed it with a patch months later after researchers publicly embarrassed them.

So, to sum up:

  • Secure storage compromised.

  • Silent fix months later.

  • Zero transparency until caught.

Lovely ethics, Samsung. Makes you wonder if they're hiring ex-politicians to run their security department.

Real-World Impact: Why You Should Care

What could an attacker actually do with this wormhole?

  • Steal your biometric data (fingerprints, face scans).

  • Extract encryption keys (say goodbye to your "secure" apps).

  • Launch device-wide attacks that are nearly impossible to detect.

And no, a simple antivirus app wouldn't save you. This is a hardware-level problem. It's like leaving the keys to your house inside your front door, then acting surprised when burglars move in and start charging rent.

Samsung's "We Fixed It" is Utterly Insufficient

Samsung has issued the usual PR drivel: "We take customer security very seriously" — which, let's be honest, should now automatically translate to "We got caught, please don't sue us."

Here's the kicker: most users don't even know if they were vulnerable. Samsung didn’t issue a full device list. They didn't publish a clear timeline. They didn't even tell you how to check if your phone is safe now.

So if you’re using a Galaxy phone from the last couple of years, congratulations: you’re playing cybersecurity roulette!

The Broader Lesson: Blind Trust is a Security Risk

This Samsung disaster is yet another reminder that no vendor — not even the "big" ones — should be blindly trusted.

Security needs to be provable, auditable, and verifiable.

It's 2025. If your supply chain or your vendors are still pulling "whoopsies" like this, it's not an accident. It's negligence. Possibly even willful negligence.

And if you’re still trusting default settings, default patch cycles, or default anything, you’re asking for trouble.

Trust nothing. Verify everything. Then verify it again.

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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