A newly discovered SMS of Death bug can crash your Android phone without you opening or tapping anything. The flaw affects Android 12 and newer devices and can disrupt calls, mobile service, and normal phone use.
The vulnerability was discovered by security researcher Mark Blaszczyk. It uses a custom-made WAP Push SMS that Android processes in the background. Because of this, the message may never appear in your inbox.
Researchers found that receiving the malicious message can cause Android’s telephony system to fail. This can drop active calls, interrupt cellular connectivity, and trigger repeated crashes on affected devices.
In more serious cases, sending multiple malicious messages could make a phone difficult to use. Reports say some devices may enter a reboot loop or require technical steps to recover.
The issue has been confirmed on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices. However, the bug may affect other Android phones running Android 12 or later if they have not received the latest security updates.
The vulnerability is listed as CVE-2026-58882 and has a critical severity rating. Reports also suggest the vulnerable code has been present since Android 12, potentially affecting a wide range of devices.
Google has already released a fix through Android security updates. The patch is designed to detect and remove the malicious message before it can repeatedly crash the device.
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If you’re using an Android phone, it might be a good idea to install the latest security update available for your device. Phones that no longer receive security patches could remain vulnerable to the SMS of Death bug.
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