CVE-2023-21459

Memory access fault via decon use-after-free

Published Mar 16, 2023 · Updated Feb 26, 2025

Use-after-free in the decon driver in Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Mar-2023 Release 1 allows local users to trigger a memory access fault. Samsung states that absent check logic permits access to freed memory, but it has not published the affected function or object lifetime. Reachability requires high device privileges and a local execution path on Android 11, 12, or 13 devices using the Exynos 2100 chipset; the documented consequence is a memory access fault.

CVSS severity5.0
Medium
EPSS probability0.27%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the decon driver in Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Mar-2023 Release 1 allows local users to trigger a memory access fault. Samsung states that absent check logic permits access to freed memory, but it has not published the affected function or object lifetime. Reachability requires high device privileges and a local execution path on Android 11, 12, or 13 devices using the Exynos 2100 chipset; the documented consequence is a memory access fault.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21459
Published
Mar 16, 2023
Updated
Feb 26, 2025
Vendor
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Product
Samsung Mobile Devices
Classifications
CWE-416
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

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?

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  1. Affected versionversion=Android 11, 12, 13 devices with Exynos2100 chipset <SMR Mar-2023 Release 1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. · Samsung Mobile Devicesversion=Android 11, 12, 13 devices with Exynos2100 chipset <SMR Mar-2023 Release 1

Published CVSS scores

5.0Samsung MobileCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L
9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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