dbcve.org
Galaxy S8 Plus FirmwareOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2019-16401

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-11-06
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
70/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Samsung Galaxy S8 plus (Android version: 8.0.0, Build Number: R16NW.G955USQU5CRG3, Baseband Vendor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, Baseband: G955USQU5CRG3), Samsung Galaxy S3 (Android version: 4.3, Build Number: JSS15J.I9300XXUGND5, Baseband Vendor: Samsung Exynos 4412, Baseband: I9300XXUGNA8), and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (Android version: 4.3, Build Number: JSS15J.I9300XUGND5, Baseband Vendor: Samsung Exynos 4412, Baseband: N7100DDUFND1) devices allow injection of AT+CIMI and AT+CGSN over Bluetooth, leaking sensitive information such as IMSI, IMEI, call status, call setup stage, internet service status, signal strength, current roaming status, battery level, and call held status.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is a Bluetooth AT command injection vulnerability affecting Samsung Galaxy S8+, S3, and Note 2 devices. An attacker within Bluetooth range can inject AT+CIMI and AT+CGSN commands to retrieve sensitive subscriber and device identifiers (IMSI, IMEI) along with real-time call status, roaming information, signal strength, and battery level without authentication.

MitigationApply available Samsung firmware security updates for affected devices; until patched, disable Bluetooth when not in use and avoid pairing with untrusted Bluetooth devices.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Galaxy S8 Plus FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Galaxy S3 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Galaxy Note 2 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify device model
    Check if the device is a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, Galaxy S3, or Galaxy Note 2 by navigating to Settings > About Phone > Model Number
    Affected if Device model matches any of these three: SM-G955x (S8+), SM-I9300 (S3), or SM-N7100 (Note 2)
  2. Check firmware version
    Navigate to Settings > About Phone > Software Information > Build Number to view installed firmware version
    Affected if Any firmware version is installed on the affected models since Samsung lists all versions as vulnerable
  3. Verify Bluetooth is enabled
    Check Settings > Bluetooth to confirm Bluetooth radio is turned on
    Affected if Bluetooth is enabled and the device is within Bluetooth range of an attacker
  4. Check Bluetooth visibility
    Go to Settings > Bluetooth > Device settings and check if the device is set to 'Visible to all nearby Bluetooth devices' or has extended visibility timeout
    Affected if Device is discoverable or pairable by untrusted devices
  5. Review paired Bluetooth devices
    Navigate to Settings > Bluetooth > Paired devices list to inspect connected or previously paired devices
    Affected if Untrusted or unknown Bluetooth devices are paired, allowing potential exploitation

A user is affected if they own a Galaxy S8 Plus, S3, or Note 2 with Bluetooth enabled, as all firmware versions of these devices are vulnerable to unauthenticated AT command injection via Bluetooth.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply available Samsung firmware security updates for affected devices; until patched, disable Bluetooth when not in use and avoid pairing with untrusted Bluetooth devices.

Fix this in Galaxy S8 Plus Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,970
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-16401 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data