Samsung Galaxy S III Has a Lockscreen Bug; Security Can Be Easily Bypassed

There is a flaw in the Samsung Galaxy S III that allows the security of the lockscreen to be quickly bypassed.

This smartphone (like every cellphone) can be used to make 911 calls in emergencies, even if it's locked. By taking advantage of this system and pushing a series of buttons in just the right way, it's possible to trick the device into giving access to the homescreen. Performing the operation doesn't always work the first time, but with a bit of patience it can be done successfully. 

This is a serious problem, as the contents of a lost or stolen device can be easily accessed, exposing either the user's private information or proprietary company secrets, or both.

At this point, this doesn't seem to be an issue with all Andrid-based handsets, just the Galaxy S3. Still, it's quite possible people are now going to start tinkering with all kinds of smartphones to see if the emergency dialing screen can be used to bypass the security.

This problem isn't limited to Samsung's flagship smartphone -- the iPhone has a similar security flaw which Apple is in the process of fixing.

Source: Full Disclosure