CVE-2019-20579

Location sharing enabled via unauthenticated lock-screen control

Published Mar 24, 2020 · Updated Aug 5, 2024

Missing authentication in Samsung Gallery on Android 7.x through 9.0 allows physically proximate attackers to enable location sharing from a locked device. The lock-screen Gallery interface accepts the location-sharing change without requiring device authentication, but Samsung has not published the responsible function or validation path. Physical access to a locked affected device is required; the resulting privacy impact is limited to unauthorized location-information sharing.

CVSS severity2.4
Low
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Missing authentication in Samsung Gallery on Android 7.x through 9.0 allows physically proximate attackers to enable location sharing from a locked device. The lock-screen Gallery interface accepts the location-sharing change without requiring device authentication, but Samsung has not published the responsible function or validation path. Physical access to a locked affected device is required; the resulting privacy impact is limited to unauthorized location-information sharing.

The record

CVE
CVE-2019-20579
Published
Mar 24, 2020
Updated
Aug 5, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-306, T1430
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 24, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

2.4NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
2.1NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-306Missing Authentication for Critical Function
T1430Location Tracking

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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