CVE-2021-25444Public exploit

Key recovery via attacker-controlled IV reuse

Published Aug 5, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

IV reuse in Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR AUG-2021 Release 1 allows local users to decrypt custom Keymaster keyblobs. The Keymaster trusted application accepts an undocumented caller-supplied IV, allowing AES-GCM nonce reuse when deterministic key derivation produces the same encryption key. Exploitation requires a privileged process able to bypass the Keymaster HAL and submit arbitrary trusted-application parameters; successful reuse recovers protected key material.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.76%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

IV reuse in Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR AUG-2021 Release 1 allows local users to decrypt custom Keymaster keyblobs. The Keymaster trusted application accepts an undocumented caller-supplied IV, allowing AES-GCM nonce reuse when deterministic key derivation produces the same encryption key. Exploitation requires a privileged process able to bypass the Keymaster HAL and submit arbitrary trusted-application parameters; successful reuse recovers protected key material.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-25444
Published
Aug 5, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Product
Samsung Mobile Devices
Classifications
CWE-20, CWE-330, T1552.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 5, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=O(8.1), P(9.0), Q(10.0) <SMR AUG-2021 Release 1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. · Samsung Mobile Devicesversion=O(8.1), P(9.0), Q(10.0) <SMR AUG-2021 Release 1

Published CVSS scores

2.1NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation
CWE-330Use of Insufficiently Random Values
T1552.004Unsecured Credentials: Private Keys

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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