Samsung’s initial release last week brought the December SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to the Exynos version of the Galaxy S20 FE LTE in Europe. The devices picked up the new security patch with firmware version G780FXXSAEVL1. The latest SMR is now rolling out to the device in Africa and Asia as well. The updated firmware version in these regions is G780FXXSAEVL2. Meanwhile, users with a Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S20 FE LTE are getting the December SMR with firmware version G780GXXS3DVL1. The rollout for this model is currently limited to a couple of countries in Asia. Namely, Indonesia and Vietnam (via). But, Samsung should soon expand the update to other markets, including Africa and Europe. If you’re using a Galaxy S20 FE 5G, the latest security update is now available for your phone as well. The rollout is widely available in Europe with firmware version G781BXXS4GVL1. Samsung released this device in the US as well, and it’s getting the December SMR too. The new security patch for the US model comes as part of the Android 13 update. The big Android update has already rolled out in most international markets. It is the last major Android OS upgrade for the phone. The affordable Galaxy flagship from 2020 will not get Android 14.
The December security update for Galaxy devices patches 80 vulnerabilities
Samsung’s December SMR for Galaxy devices patches as many as 80 vulnerabilities. These include some Galaxy-specific flaws as well as generic Android OS patches as part of Google’s latest ASB (Android Security Bulletin). The company labeled at least five vulnerabilities as critical and more than 60 as high-severity flaws. These could cause extensive damage to affected devices if a bad actor exploited them in the wild. Some could lead to remote code execution while others allowed local information disclosure. If you’re using a Galaxy S20 FE, all of these vulnerability fixes should be available to you shortly. Samsung has already released the update globally. It’s now only a matter of time before the rollout reaches every eligible unit. You can check for it from the Settings app. Go to the Software update menu and tap on Download and install. You may also get a notification prompting you to download the update.
