Security Updates: Why Ignoring That Update Could Cost You Dearly

The security update notification on a smartphone is one of the most ignored by users, generally postponed with arguments of inconvenience or lack of visible new features. This practice represents one of the greatest digital security risks a person can incur, and understanding exactly why these updates are critical can change that behavior.

Security updates fix known vulnerabilities in the operating system that can be exploited by malicious actors to compromise the device. Vulnerabilities are constantly discovered by security researchers, who responsibly report them to manufacturers before public disclosure. The manufacturer develops, tests, and distributes the patch. The problem is that between internal discovery and publication of the monthly security bulletin, other agents may independently discover the same vulnerabilities and begin exploiting them.

Google’s Project Zero, a team dedicated to finding vulnerabilities in widely used software, regularly documents critical vulnerabilities in the Linux kernel (which underlies Android), in WebKit (Safari’s rendering engine), and in hardware components like modems and Wi-Fi chips. Some of these vulnerabilities are classified as zero-days, meaning they are actively exploited before a patch is available. In 2024, Google documented more than 90 zero-days actively exploited on mobile platforms.

The most critical classes of vulnerabilities for smartphones include: remote code execution (allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code without user interaction); privilege escalation (allows malware to obtain system permissions it shouldn’t have); kernel information leakage (allows bypassing memory isolation protections); and baseband component vulnerabilities (cellular modem, which operates at the hardware level below the OS and can be exploited via the cellular network).

So-called “mercenary spyware,” like NSO Group’s Pegasus, exploits precisely these vulnerabilities to compromise high-value targets’ devices without any user interaction. Researchers at Citizen Lab have documented cases where exploitation occurred simply because the victim received a text message or phone call, without needing to interact with the content. While these attacks primarily target journalists, activists, and politicians, the same vulnerabilities are eventually adapted for large-scale attacks by criminal groups.

For Android devices, the patch landscape is heterogeneous. Google Pixel devices receive monthly security patches for seven years. Samsung guarantees four years of security updates for its current flagships. Smaller manufacturers often deliver two years or fewer, after which devices remain permanently exposed to publicly known and documented vulnerabilities.

The technical recommendation is unequivocal: install security updates as soon as they are available, without unnecessary delays. Configure your device for automatic download and install during overnight charging. If your device no longer receives security updates from the manufacturer, consider replacement or migration to a ROM with active security support like GrapheneOS for Pixel devices.

Smartphone security is not a one-time configuration: it is an ongoing process that requires regular updates to remain effective.