Default Samsung messaging app randomly spamming contacts with pictures

Posted:
in General Discussion
An unusual glitch in Samsung Messages is causing some phones to randomly send photos to contacts without prompting users first.

Samsung Galaxy S9


Affected people may not even be aware of the issue until they get a response from someone who received the photos, according to Gizmodo. One person claims to have had his entire photo library accidentally sent to his girlfriend.

A Samsung spokesperson told The Verge that it's "aware of the reports," and that it has teams looking into the situation. The company is also asking people to call 1-800-Samsung if they're running into trouble.

It's not certain which specific phones have been impacted, although forum complaints have pointed to the Galaxy S9, S9+, and Note 8 as all being afflicted by the issue.

Some customers have speculated that the cause may be RCS messaging updates pushed out by carriers. RCS allows texting to share some of the benefits of platforms like Apple iMessage or Facebook Messenger, such as typing indicators and read receipts. T-Mobile pushed out an RCS update earlier this week, but a spokesperson insisted to The Verge and AppleInsider that "it's not a T-Mobile issue."

For the time being, worried Samsung users can disable Samsung Messages' storage access permissions.

Apple's iMessage has occasionally suffered its own carrier-related problems -- but nothing like an automatic data leak like this. Earlier this year, for example, Australia's Telstra encountered outages in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane related to the carrier more than the hardware. The problem also impacted FaceTime calls.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    nunzynunzy Posts: 662member
    What do you expect from Samsung?
    racerhomie3stanthemanMuntzcornchipwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 2 of 31
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    Wow
    cornchipAlex1Nwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 3 of 31
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    you better not be cheating on your GF Samsung may rat you by sending pictures you do not want her to see. Imagine your private personal pictures being sent to co-workers. This could be come very embarrassing for lots of people.
    edited July 2018 Muntzcornchipwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 4 of 31
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Wow
    And we will probably see this report exactly nowhere in the mainstream tech media.
    Cesar Battistini MazieroGG1StrangeDayslamboaudi4Linz HendersonMuntzcornchipwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 5 of 31
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    Yikes !!
    cornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 31
    ceek74ceek74 Posts: 324member
    Dikpixby
    Linz Hendersonzroger73cornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 31
    stanthemanstantheman Posts: 332member
    A year ago, Samsung phones were catching on fire. This year, they’re surreptitiously sending the user’s photo to friends. At least they’re tapering off.
    cornchipsphericwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 8 of 31
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    When they eventually track this down it will be interesting to see what the bug was! As a developer its hard to imagine what's going on.
    dysamoriacornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 31
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,844member
    Not Apple, tech press won’t care. 
    lamboaudi4cornchipAlex1NLukeCagesphericevilutionwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 10 of 31
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    It's a "feature". 


    watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 11 of 31
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    Not Apple, tech press won’t care. 
    If it results in a major privacy breach, especially of someone powerful or wealthy, or results in a lawsuit, it'll end up in the press.
    cornchipAlex1N
  • Reply 12 of 31
    steven n.steven n. Posts: 1,229member
    At an Android level, this dates back to 2010. Google "patched" this bug 5-6 times in the past. Maybe Samsung lost a merge into their codebase.
    muthuk_vanalingamcornchipsphericwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 31
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,007member
    Well at least you don't have to wait on a long line to buy their phones...so I guess there is some benefit to the platform...
    viclauyycJFC_PAcornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 31
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    If that bug causes someone to lose their job, their partner, etc... Samsung should be on the hook for damages.
    cornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 31
    chrispoechrispoe Posts: 80member

    This has been reported on numerous websites already.

    Looks like it only affects people on T-Mobile and the texts are being sent only to people that are on the same share plan.






    cornchipAlex1Nsphericwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 31
    nunzynunzy Posts: 662member
    lkrupp said:
    Wow
    And we will probably see this report exactly nowhere in the mainstream tech media.
    The mainstream media hates Apple.
  • Reply 17 of 31
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Imagine trusting Samsung with your data.
    Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 31
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Seriously, you people know nothing! NU-UH-THING!

    This is clearly Samsung's much more intelligent, much more connected, and much much sexier take on Apple's Continuity. 

    My contacts in the supply chain told me its going to be called Samsung Incontinence, and it will rattle Apple like Apple has never been rattled before. The advert is an award winner for sure. Picture the scene:

    A businessman, conducting a high-level corporate merger meeting. He's tanned, slick-haired and strong-jawed. He knocks that meeting out of the park, and while the board of directors are shaking his hand, he receives an unsolicited message on his Galaxy phone.  It's from his wife's Galaxy, sitting on the breakfast bar back at home - and it's taken a picture of his daughter's Galaxy, as it burns down the house.

    Samsung Incontinence - technology that gives you an unexpected warm feeling. 

    A free update in September. You heard it here first.
    olslamboaudi4fastasleepcornchipAlex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 31
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    jungmark said:
    It's a "feature". 


    I wish I was on Ashley Graham's contact list ...  oh wait I'd need a Scamdung phone wouldn't I.
    cornchipwatto_cobra
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