Executive Summary

Samsung has begun rolling out its February 2026 Security Maintenance Release (SMR) to its portfolio of Galaxy devices. The update is a comprehensive package that addresses 37 security vulnerabilities. Of these, 25 are Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) inherited from Google's core Android Security Bulletin, while 12 are Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVEs) that are specific to Samsung's custom One UI software and device hardware. The patches cover a range of issues, with some of the Samsung-specific flaws rated as 'High' severity. Users should install this update as soon as it becomes available to protect their devices from potential exploitation.

Vulnerabilities Addressed

The February 2026 SMR is a cumulative update that includes:

• 25 CVEs from Google: These are part of the February 2026 Android Security Bulletin and address vulnerabilities in the underlying Android operating system and its components.
• 12 SVEs from Samsung: These are specific to Galaxy devices and address flaws within Samsung's own software and drivers.

While a full list of all 37 flaws is extensive, Samsung highlighted one of the SVEs it resolved:

• Improper Access Control in 'Emergency Sharing': This vulnerability could have allowed a local attacker to interfere with the operation of the Emergency Sharing feature. This flaw was rated as 'High' severity.

The other SVEs are rated as 'High' and 'Moderate' severity, indicating they could have a significant impact if exploited.

Affected Products

The update will be rolled out to all supported Samsung Galaxy devices, including:

• Galaxy S series smartphones
• Galaxy Z series foldables
• Galaxy Note series devices
• Galaxy A series and M series devices
• Galaxy Tab series tablets

The exact timing of the update will vary by device model, country, and carrier.

Impact Assessment

Security updates for mobile devices are critical because they address flaws that could be exploited by malicious applications or remote attackers to gain control of a device, steal personal data, or conduct surveillance. The 'High' severity rating for some of the patched vulnerabilities indicates that they could be exploited with relative ease or could lead to a significant compromise, such as privilege escalation or access to sensitive user data. Delaying the update leaves the device and its data exposed to these known risks.

Deployment Priority

This is a mandatory security update. All users should install it as soon as they receive the notification on their device. There is no reason to delay the installation. Organizations managing fleets of Samsung devices should push the update through their Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution.

Installation Instructions

Most users will receive an over-the-air (OTA) notification to download and install the update.

1. Go to Settings on your Galaxy device.
2. Scroll down and tap on Software update.
3. Tap on Download and install.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. Your device will restart during the process.

It is recommended to be connected to a Wi-Fi network and have sufficient battery life before starting the update.