Samsung fans beware, it appears the TouchWiz UI is vulnerable to a special type of attack that erases all internal data, including SIM data. It is reported that a specific line of HTML code can trigger catastrophic data loss among Samsung device users. This can be triggered when users tap a link that contains data wipe command.
Many Samsung users regularly execute all types of commands and diagnostic code into the dialer. The new exploits uses this feature to activate Samsung’s specific code. Security experts believe that the code can be transmitted through NFC signal and even a bad QR code. This would directly affect users vulnerable to social engineering attacks.
It is also reported that the security hole isn’t with TouchWiz-equipped smartphones per se, but with Android’s stock browser. So far, the hack can be replicated quite easily on common Galaxy models, including Samsung Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Beam and Galaxy S2.