The May 2021 security patch has so far been rolled out for a handful of Galaxy devices, most of which have been released later than 2019, and the update's distribution continues as Samsung is now bringing the same firmware to the unlocked Galaxy S9 in the USA.
As detailed earlier today, the May 2021 security patch addresses two dozens Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposure items, and among other things, it fixes an S Secure authentication bypass issue as well as an Intent Redirection vulnerability for Secure Folder. Of course, the new security update also addresses a number of vulnerabilities affecting Google's own Android OS.
The base Galaxy S9 model appears to have priority for the new firmware update but the Galaxy S9+ shouldn't be far behind. In any case, the new Galaxy S9 update can be identified by firmware version G96xU1UES9FUD1, and as always, it should be available for download from the Software update menu within the Settings app on your phone.
Galaxy S9 owners in the USA can also wait for the update notification to arrive, or they can circumvent the entire OTA update process by downloading the latest firmware manually from our archive and installing it on their phones using a Windows PC.
Enjoy these security patches while they last. The Galaxy S8 has just reminded us that security updates don't last forever, and the Galaxy S9 will be the next flagship in line to drop support for security updates — presumably around this time next year.
