CVE-2021-25356 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

An improper caller check vulnerability in Managed Provisioning prior to SMR APR-2021 Release 1 allows unprivileged applications to install arbitrary applications, grant device admin permission, and delete several installed applications.

Understanding CVE-2021-25356

This CVE affects Samsung Mobile Devices and arises from an improper caller check vulnerability in Managed Provisioning.

What is CVE-2021-25356?

The vulnerability in Managed Provisioning prior to SMR APR-2021 Release 1 permits unprivileged apps to carry out unauthorized actions on the device.

The Impact of CVE-2021-25356

With a CVSS base score of 7.1 (High), this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized installation and deletion of applications on affected devices.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-25356

The vulnerability is related to improper input validation (CWE-20) and has a low attack complexity and vector of LOCAL.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw allows unprivileged apps to perform actions they are not supposed to, posing a significant security risk.

Affected Systems and Versions

Samsung Mobile Devices running O(8.x), P(9.0), Q(10.0), R(11.0) versions prior to SMR APR-2021 Release 1 are impacted.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability locally without requiring any special privileges, leading to a high impact on device integrity.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2021-25356, immediate steps must be taken followed by long-term security practices and regular patching.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should be cautious while granting permissions to applications and only install apps from trusted sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update the device software and implement security best practices to minimize the risk of unauthorized actions.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the latest security patches from Samsung Mobile are applied promptly to protect devices from known vulnerabilities.