CVE-2021-25467Public exploit

Root escalation via unchecked ELF section arithmetic

Published Oct 6, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Buffer overflow in the Vision DSP kernel driver on Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Oct-2021 Release 1 allows local users to gain root. During DSP_IOC_LOAD_GRAPH, unchecked 32-bit ELF section-size and offset arithmetic allocates an undersized region and lets memcpy write controlled data beyond it. Exploitation requires system privilege to redirect firmware loading to attacker-controlled ELF and linker-rule files; the resulting primitive supports kernel code execution.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.11%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Buffer overflow in the Vision DSP kernel driver on Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Oct-2021 Release 1 allows local users to gain root. During DSP_IOC_LOAD_GRAPH, unchecked 32-bit ELF section-size and offset arithmetic allocates an undersized region and lets memcpy write controlled data beyond it. Exploitation requires system privilege to redirect firmware loading to attacker-controlled ELF and linker-rule files; the resulting primitive supports kernel code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-25467
Published
Oct 6, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Product
Samsung Mobile Devices
Classifications
CWE-120, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 6, 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=R(11.0) devices with Exynos 980, 9830, 2100 chipsets <SMR Oct-2021 Release 1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. · Samsung Mobile Devicesversion=R(11.0) devices with Exynos 980, 9830, 2100 chipsets <SMR Oct-2021 Release 1

Published CVSS scores

7.2NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
5.3Samsung MobileCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
6.7NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-120Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow')
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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