Kernel-address disclosure via permissive sec_log copy
Published Mar 26, 2021 · Updated Oct 21, 2025
Information disclosure in Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Mar-2021 Release 1 allows local users to read sensitive kernel addresses. Samsung's dumpstate copies a Mali WARN_ON backtrace from /proc/sec_log into the more permissive /data/log/sec_log.log, exposing task_struct and sys_call_table addresses. An application on an affected Exynos device must trigger the Mali ioctl warning and start bugreport; the leaked addresses defeat KASLR and support further kernel compromise.
Summary
What happened
Information disclosure in Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Mar-2021 Release 1 allows local users to read sensitive kernel addresses. Samsung's dumpstate copies a Mali WARN_ON backtrace from /proc/sec_log into the more permissive /data/log/sec_log.log, exposing task_struct and sys_call_table addresses. An application on an affected Exynos device must trigger the Mali ioctl warning and start bugreport; the leaked addresses defeat KASLR and support further kernel compromise.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-25369
- Published
- Mar 26, 2021
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Vendor
- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Product
- Samsung Mobile Devices
- Classifications
- CWE-200, T1005
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 26, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=O(8.x), P(9.0), Q(10.0) <SMR Mar-2021 Release 1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- sec_log WARN_ON trigger proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listingknown exploited catalog
- Samsung three-vulnerability surveillance exploit chainexploit chain
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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