Samsung has released a sofware update for its flagsjip Galaxy S III smartphone to patcha software vulnerability that allowed the device to be maliciously wiped of its data.

Samsung says that the flaw had already been identified and fixed with an over-the-air update.

"We would like to assure our customers that the recent security issue concerning the Galaxy S III has already been resolved through a software update. We recommend all Galaxy S III customers download the latest software update, which can be done quickly and easily via the Over-The-Air (OTA) service," Samsung said in a statement.

The flaw was discovered by security researchers earlier this week.

According to them, the Galaxy S III could be exploited through a bug that enables someone to gain remote access to the device. The hack made use of USSD codes, a protocol normally used by phones to communicate with the wireless carriers.