Actively exploited vulnerability
Samsung Mobile Devices: improper access control flaw under attack
CVE-2021-25369 · Samsung Mobile Devices Improper Access Control Vulnerability
What is affected
Samsung Mobile Devices are found on ordinary personal computers and phones, so this is not only a problem for companies. If you use them and have not updated since the fix was released, you are exposed.
Samsung mobile devices using Mali GPU contains an improper access control vulnerability in sec_log file. Exploitation of the vulnerability exposes sensitive kernel information to the userspace. This vulnerability was chained with CVE-2021-25337 and CVE-2021-25370.
What an attacker can do
This is a improper access control flaw. It lets an attacker perform actions or reach data that should be restricted to authorised users.
- How it is reached
- Needs access to the device or a file opened on it
- Access the attacker needs
- A basic user account
- Does the victim have to do something?
- No, works without the victim doing anything
What to do
- Update Samsung Mobile Devices now. Open the update or "About" screen, install whatever is offered and restart the app or device, because the fix is not active until you do.
- Turn on automatic updates so the next fix arrives without you having to look for it.
- If your device is too old to receive this update, stop using the affected app for anything sensitive and plan a replacement.
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Vendor advisories and fixes
- security.samsungmobile.comsecurity.samsungmobile.com/securityUpdate.smsb
How urgent is it
CISA added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on November 8, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of attacks in the wild. US federal agencies must fix it by November 29, 2022, a deadline that has already passed. That deadline does not bind anyone else, but it shows how seriously the agency rates it.
The EPSS model estimates a 1.1% probability that this flaw will be exploited somewhere in the next 30 days. That is higher than 64% of all scored vulnerabilities.
Its CVSS severity score is 5.5 out of 10 (medium), as recorded in the US National Vulnerability Database.
Technical description
An improper access control vulnerability in sec_log file prior to SMR MAR-2021 Release 1 exposes sensitive kernel information to userspace.