CVE-2023-21456

System-privileged file access via path traversal

Published Mar 16, 2023 · Updated Feb 26, 2025

Path traversal in Galaxy Themes Service on Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Mar-2023 Release 1 allows local users to access arbitrary files. Galaxy Themes Service accepts an attacker-controlled path without sufficient input validation, allowing traversal beyond the intended directory. Local execution on an affected device is required; no elevated privilege or user interaction is needed, and access occurs with the service's system UID.

CVSS severity9.0
Critical
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Path traversal in Galaxy Themes Service on Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Mar-2023 Release 1 allows local users to access arbitrary files. Galaxy Themes Service accepts an attacker-controlled path without sufficient input validation, allowing traversal beyond the intended directory. Local execution on an affected device is required; no elevated privilege or user interaction is needed, and access occurs with the service's system UID.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21456
Published
Mar 16, 2023
Updated
Feb 26, 2025
Vendor
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Product
Samsung Mobile Devices
Classifications
CWE-22, CAPEC-126, T1533
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 16, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 26, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=Android 11, 12, 13 <SMR Mar-2023 Release 1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. · Samsung Mobile Devicesversion=Android 11, 12, 13 <SMR Mar-2023 Release 1

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
9.0Samsung MobileCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CAPEC-126Path Traversal
T1533Data from Local System

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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