Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This Samsung mobile flaw let a local attacker abuse improperly sanitized input to SecSettings before the May 2021 security release. Successful abuse could expose data handled under the system UID and cause limited integrity and availability impact. It matters mainly for older Samsung Android 10 and 11 devices that were not patched.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate mobile fleet hygiene issue. It is old and patched, but confidentiality impact is high on unpatched devices. The business priority is confirming no legacy Samsung Android 10 or 11 devices remain below the May 2021 Samsung security release.
Technical view
CVE-2021-25393 is an improper incoming-intent sanitization issue in Samsung SecSettings. The CVSS 3.1 vector is AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L, indicating local access, low complexity, no privileges, required user interaction, and high confidentiality impact. Samsung addressed it in SMR MAY-2021 Release 1.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Samsung Mobile Devices running Android Q 10.0 or R 11.0 that are below Samsung SMR MAY-2021 Release 1. Current, managed devices should be at low risk if their security patch level is newer.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. The CVSS vector indicates local attack conditions with user interaction required, so this is not described as a remote, unauthenticated internet-facing issue.
Researcher notes
Public metadata identifies SecSettings intent sanitization as the vulnerable area but gives limited implementation detail in the supplied bundle. Do not assume broader Samsung versions beyond Android Q and R. The available evidence supports patch-level validation rather than exploit-based validation.
Mitigation direction
- Apply Samsung SMR MAY-2021 Release 1 or later to affected Samsung devices.
- Check Samsung’s advisory for model-specific update availability and support status.
- Prioritize unmanaged Android 10 and Android 11 Samsung devices for patch verification.
- For unsupported devices, follow vendor guidance or replace them with supported models.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Samsung Android 10 and Android 11 devices in fleet records or MDM.
- Confirm each device security patch level is May 2021 Release 1 or later.
- Flag devices missing the update for remediation or replacement review.
- Document exceptions where the device model no longer receives Samsung security updates.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CWE-94: Code execution behavior lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-25393 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.6 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L1.84.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.6MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://blog.oversecured.com/Two-weeks-of-securing-Samsung-devices-Part-1/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://security.samsungmobile.com/securityUpdate.smsb?year=2021&month=5CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.