CVE-2023-21490

Application deletion via missing GearManagerStub access control

Published May 4, 2023 · Updated Feb 12, 2025

Improper access control in GearManagerStub allows local users to delete watchmanager-installed apps on Samsung Android 11, 12, and 13. GearManagerStub fails to enforce access control before performing the deletion, and Samsung has not disclosed the missing check's code-level details. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access before SMR May-2023 Release 1; no code-execution or data-disclosure impact is reported.

CVSS severity4.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper access control in GearManagerStub allows local users to delete watchmanager-installed apps on Samsung Android 11, 12, and 13. GearManagerStub fails to enforce access control before performing the deletion, and Samsung has not disclosed the missing check's code-level details. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access before SMR May-2023 Release 1; no code-execution or data-disclosure impact is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21490
Published
May 4, 2023
Updated
Feb 12, 2025
Vendor
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Product
Samsung Mobile Devices
Classifications
CWE-284, T1485
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 4, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 12, 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 May-2023 Release 1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

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

Published CVSS scores

7.1NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
4.7Samsung MobileCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-284Improper Access Control
T1485Data Destruction

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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