Verizon is now rolling out an update to the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge that fixes the BlueBorne vulnerability. The carrier did not explicitly state in its release note if it is deploying the September 2017 Android security patch, which should already resolve the BlueBorne vulnerability for all Android devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and Android 7.0 Nougat, but Verizon mentioned on its website that it is rolling out the “most up to date Android security patches”. Recently, the carrier has also released a similar security upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which was launched simultaneously with the Galaxy Note Edge back in late 2014. Aside from the latest security patch, there are no other features or improvements included in the latest software upgrade.
Security researchers mentioned that the BlueBorne vulnerability can be used for espionage and data theft. More specifically, this security flaw can be utilized to spread malware or ransomware, to gather sensitive data like images, location records, and private messages, or to even remotely control the devices. It can be exploited without pairing the devices and it can work even if the smartphones are not set to be discoverable. Aside from the devices running the Android operating system, BlueBorne also affects computers and servers running the Windows and Linux operating systems.
Owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge are provided with several options to download and install the update. Right now, the software upgrade is rolling out automatically, and users will be notified once the file reaches their handsets. However, people may also manually download the software package by going to the device settings and tapping on the Software update option of the About Phone section. Just in case the upgrade cannot be downloaded through a wireless connection, users may opt to use Samsung’s proprietary tool to install the update. Meanwhile, users are advised to fully charge their devices before beginning the update process to prevent bricking the smartphone, which may result from the handset shutting down while in the middle of the installation procedure. It is also important to backup the contents of the handset to a personal computer or a microSD card and to check if there is enough free space in the internal flash storage to temporarily keep the software package.