Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Samsung disclosed a flaw in its Phone application on mobile devices running Android 10 through 13 before the February 2023 SMR Release 1. A local attacker could access limited sensitive information through an implicit broadcast. This is not described as remotely exploitable, and no active exploitation is cited.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate mobile data exposure issue. It does not justify emergency response based on the provided evidence, but older Samsung devices should be brought to at least the February 2023 security release during routine patch governance.
Technical view
CVE-2023-21437 is an improper access control issue in Samsung's Phone application. The CVSS 3.1 vector is AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N, indicating local attack surface, low complexity, no privileges or user interaction, and confidentiality-only impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Samsung Mobile Devices running Android Q(10), R(11), S(12), or T(13) that have not received SMR Feb-2023 Release 1 or a later vendor security update.
Exploitation context
The sources only support local exploitation and limited information disclosure. CISA KEV status is false in the provided bundle, and no cited source states active exploitation, public weaponization, or remote attack capability.
Researcher notes
The public bundle does not provide the vulnerable broadcast name, affected Phone app package details, proof-of-concept material, or precise sensitive data type. Avoid assuming exploitability beyond local access and confidentiality impact unless Samsung or CVE sources add detail.
Mitigation direction
- Deploy Samsung SMR Feb-2023 Release 1 or later where available.
- Check Samsung guidance for model-specific update availability.
- Prioritize unsupported or unmanaged Samsung Android 10-13 devices for review.
- Reduce exposure to untrusted local apps on affected devices.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Samsung Mobile Devices running Android 10, 11, 12, or 13.
- Verify each device security patch level against February 2023 SMR Release 1.
- Confirm vulnerable devices receive updates through official Samsung or carrier channels.
- Track exceptions where updates are unavailable or devices are unsupported.
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
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-287: Credential and account abuse lookup
Authentication and credential weaknesses can make valid-account abuse and credential telemetry useful review starting points. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-21437 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N2.51.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://security.samsungmobile.com/securityUpdate.smsb?year=2023&month=02CVE reference
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 Authentication
Improper Authentication represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.