CVE-2025-21047

Physical access to privileged APIs

Published Oct 10, 2025 · Updated Oct 10, 2025

Improper access control in KnoxGuard on Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Oct-2025 Release 1 allows physical attackers to invoke privileged APIs. Samsung has not disclosed the affected API endpoints or the missing authorization check; the advisory states only that the patch adds proper access control. Exploitation requires physical device access and affects Android 14, 15, and 16, with confidentiality loss and a limited service interruption but no published integrity impact.

CVSS severity5.2
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
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 KnoxGuard on Samsung Mobile Devices before SMR Oct-2025 Release 1 allows physical attackers to invoke privileged APIs. Samsung has not disclosed the affected API endpoints or the missing authorization check; the advisory states only that the patch adds proper access control. Exploitation requires physical device access and affects Android 14, 15, and 16, with confidentiality loss and a limited service interruption but no published integrity impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-21047
Published
Oct 10, 2025
Updated
Oct 10, 2025
Vendor
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Product
Samsung Mobile Devices
Classifications
CWE-284
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 10, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 10, 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?

Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. · Samsung Mobile DevicesAffected versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.2Samsung MobileCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
6.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/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.

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)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-284Improper Access Control

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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