CVE-2021-25372

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in Samsung Mobile Devices. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for Samsung’s, see Samsung flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2021-25372 is a security flaw in Samsung Mobile Devices, Samsung’s Android phones and tablets. Attackers can corrupt memory in Samsung Mobile Devices, which they use to take it over. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 29 Jun 2023.[1]

Samsung Mobile Devices is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Fixed in version SMR Mar-2021 Release 1 of Samsung Mobile Devices.

Description

CISA calls it an improper boundary check in Samsung Mobile Devices. In its words: “Samsung mobile devices contain an improper boundary check vulnerability within DSP driver that allows for out-of-bounds memory access.”[1]

The underlying weakness is out-of-bounds write (CWE-787), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]

It scores 6.7 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it medium, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record lists one fixed version: everything before it is affected.[2]

ProductFixed in
Samsung Mobile DevicesSMR Mar-2021 Release 1

Every device with Samsung Mobile Devices needs the update.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 29 Jun 2023, 825 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 20 Jul 2023 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at under 1%. That’s in the top 44% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

Samsung has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if updates are unavailable”[1]

  1. Update Samsung Mobile Devices now.On Android: Settings, then System or Software update. Phones only get these fixes while their maker still supports them. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
  2. Check you’re on SMR Mar-2021 Release 1 or later.Fixed in version SMR Mar-2021 Release 1 of Samsung Mobile Devices. Anything older is what attackers are going after.
  3. If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 6.7.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at under 1%.[4]

See also

Other Samsung Mobile Devices flaws

Other Samsung flaws

  • CVE-2024-7399, Samsung MagicINFO 9 Server: path traversal ·
  • CVE-2025-4632, Samsung MagicINFO 9 Server: path traversal ·

Other out-of-bounds write flaws

Added the same day

  • CVE-2021-25489, Samsung Mobile Devices: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2021-25487, Samsung Mobile Devices: out-of-bounds read ·
  • CVE-2021-25395, Samsung Mobile Devices: race condition ·
  • CVE-2021-25394, Samsung Mobile Devices: race condition ·
  • CVE-2021-25371, Samsung Mobile Devices: unspecified ·

Every Samsung flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in June 2023

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Samsung Mobile Devices Improper Boundary Check Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 29 Jun 2023.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2021-25372 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 26 Mar 2021.
  3. ^ Samsung. Advisories and fixes: security.samsungmobile.com, security.samsungmobile.com, security.samsungmobile.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.008, percentile 56.8, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2021-25372”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.