CVE-2022-25820

Screen-lock brute force via faulty failure counting

Published Mar 8, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Improper fingerprint-attempt limiting in Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Mar-2022 Release 1 allows physical attackers to brute-force screen locks. The fingerprint matching algorithm's failure counter does not sufficiently limit repeated authentication attempts. Exploitation requires physical access to a selected Android 11 or 12 device and can expose data protected by the screen lock without altering it or interrupting service.

CVSS severity4.2
Medium
EPSS probability0.10%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper fingerprint-attempt limiting in Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Mar-2022 Release 1 allows physical attackers to brute-force screen locks. The fingerprint matching algorithm's failure counter does not sufficiently limit repeated authentication attempts. Exploitation requires physical access to a selected Android 11 or 12 device and can expose data protected by the screen lock without altering it or interrupting service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-25820
Published
Mar 8, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Product
Samsung Mobile Devices
Classifications
CWE-307, T1110
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 8, 2022CVE 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=Select R(11), S(12) devices <SMR Mar-2022 Release 1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. · Samsung Mobile Devicesversion=Select R(11), S(12) devices <SMR Mar-2022 Release 1

Published CVSS scores

4.6NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
4.2Samsung MobileCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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-307Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts
T1110Brute Force

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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