Pre-installed keyboard leaves 600 million Samsung smartphones vulnerable to hackers

Digital Trends ^ | June 17, 2015 | By Robert Nazarian

[Swordmaker]

Excellent timeline. You will probably want to keep that for future use and publication, so I offer a constructive editing for your consideration. . .

476 - Rein of the last Roman Emperor ends.

Unless you intended that to be a pun. . . it should be:

476 - Reign of the last Roman Emperor ends

[Swordmaker]

That’s one of the reasons that the first thing I do with a new phone is root it and remove the bloatware.

I am not sure that rooting and removing bloatware would also remove a keyboard installed by the manufacturer. However, that is a good idea for the few who do it. However your solution is one that only about 3% of the Samsung buyers ever do, leaving 97% of the buyers vulnerable to this exploit.

[Dalberg-Acton]

My Samsung Galaxy S4 phone has the Samsung keyboard installed, not the “Swift”.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Reign of the last Roman Emperor ends

Darn homophones!

[miliantnutcase]

Rooting opens you up to other vulnerabilities now that you have all out super user access. You’re at times more in danger from bogus apps on the Android store.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Swell! I just bought 2 S5s.

[Swordmaker]

Darn homophones!

You better watch it, someone may claim you're a homophobe!

[Swordmaker]

My Samsung Galaxy S4 phone has the Samsung keyboard installed, not the “Swift”.

Look around, it doesn't apparently even need to be activated to do this. Samsung installed Swift as part of the factory install.

[Hot Tabasco]

At least we can tell the users of Samsung phones on our respective platforms to watch out. . .

That includes me who just acquired my first smart phone a little over a week ago.......

Two days ago I headed off to a nearby ATT Store to complain that my Galaxy S6 was unable to answer phone calls when I pressed the green phone button.

Fortunately I made a stop at my local gas station and mentioned my problem to one of the sons. So I gave him my phone number and had him call me, sure enough, pressing the green phone button did nothing. He laughed and said don't press the button "swipe" it...........that worked.....LOL!

I don't know, I guess I'm just an old guy stuck in old technology...........

[Dalberg-Acton]

I looked again, Swift isn’t installed.

[dayglored]

> Darn homophones!

Is that the kind of headset you're supposed to wear while watching gay pr0n?

[Swordmaker]

I looked again, Swift isn’t installed.

Glad to hear it.

[Dalberg-Acton]

Me too, buddy!