Actively exploited vulnerability

Samsung Mobile Devices: vulnerability flaw under attack

CVE-2021-25371 · Samsung Mobile Devices Unspecified Vulnerability

Concerns everyone who uses it6.7 medium

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 contain an unspecified vulnerability within DSP driver that allows attackers to load ELF libraries inside DSP.

CISA's description

What an attacker can do

This is a vulnerability flaw. It lets an attacker misuse the product in a way its maker did not intend. CISA lists it because attackers are confirmed to be using it against real systems.

How it is reached
Needs access to the device or a file opened on it
Access the attacker needs
An administrator account
Does the victim have to do something?
No, works without the victim doing anything

What to do

  1. 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.
  2. Turn on automatic updates so the next fix arrives without you having to look for it.
  3. 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 or discontinue use of the product if updates are unavailable

Action required by CISA for US federal agencies

Vendor advisories and fixes

How urgent is it

CISA added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on June 29, 2023, which means there is reliable evidence of attacks in the wild. US federal agencies must fix it by July 20, 2023, 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 0.8% probability that this flaw will be exploited somewhere in the next 30 days. That is higher than 55% of all scored vulnerabilities.

Its CVSS severity score is 6.7 out of 10 (medium), as recorded in the US National Vulnerability Database.

Technical description

A vulnerability in DSP driver prior to SMR Mar-2021 Release 1 allows attackers load arbitrary ELF libraries inside DSP.

NIST National Vulnerability Database
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