Samsung has released a new smartphone feature designed to protect user devices from threats disguised as image attachments.
Called “Message Guard,” the new capability is currently compatible with the Samsung Messages app as well as with Messages by Google.
“In line with Samsung’s philosophy of open collaboration, a software update will roll out at a later date to let Samsung Message Guard protect you across third-party messaging apps as well,” the company wrote in a blog post published on Friday.
From a technical standpoint, Message Guard acts as an advanced sandbox layer that isolates image files from the rest of the device.
“This prevents malicious code from accessing your phone’s files or interacting with its operating system,” the company explained. “Samsung Message Guard checks the file bit by bit and processes it in a controlled environment to ensure it cannot infect the rest of your device.”
If the file is deemed harmless, it is then allowed to be accessed normally by the user. If not, it is disposed of.
“Samsung Message Guard automatically neutralizes any potential threat hiding in image files before they have a chance to do you any harm. It also runs silently and largely invisibly in the background and does not need to be activated by the user,” the company wrote.
“So where previously you could be endangered without doing anything, now you are protected from zero-click exploits without lifting a finger.”
The Samsung Message Guard feature is currently being rolled out on Galaxy S23 series devices. The company confirmed it would bring the new feature to other smartphones and tablets supporting One UI 5.1 or higher later this year.
The new security capability comes weeks after NCC Group disclosed two Galaxy App Store vulnerabilities that allowed local attackers to install arbitrary applications or execute JavaScript code.