CVE-2019-20535
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered on Samsung mobile devices with O(8.x) and P(9.0) software. A connection to a new Bluetooth devices can be established from the lock screen. The Samsung ID is SVE-2019-15533 (December 2019).
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 confidenceA vulnerability in Samsung mobile devices running Android O (8.x) and P (9.0) allows Bluetooth pairing with new devices directly from the lock screen, bypassing authentication. An attacker with physical access or in close proximity could pair a malicious Bluetooth device without unlocking the phone.
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= 8.0= 8.1= 9.0CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify device manufacturer and modelCheck if the device is a Samsung mobile device (e.g., Galaxy S series, Galaxy A series, etc.) by reviewing the device settings under Settings > About Phone > Model NumberAffected if Device is a Samsung mobile device
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Check Android versionNavigate to Settings > About Phone > Android Version and verify the exact version numberAffected if Android version is 8.0, 8.1, or 9.0 (Android O or P)
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Verify Bluetooth is enabledCheck if Bluetooth is turned on in Settings > Bluetooth or by swiping down from the top of the screen to access quick settingsAffected if Bluetooth is currently enabled on the device
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Confirm Bluetooth discoverabilityCheck Bluetooth settings to see if the device is set to be discoverable by other Bluetooth devicesAffected if Bluetooth is in discoverable/pairing mode (often indicated by a visible timer or 'Your device is visible to nearby devices' message)
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Verify lock screen stateObserve if the device is currently locked (screen is off or showing lock screen) while Bluetooth is enabled and discoverableAffected if Device is locked with Bluetooth enabled and discoverable - this is the vulnerable state where unauthorized pairing could occur
A Samsung mobile device running Android 8.0, 8.1, or 9.0 with Bluetooth enabled and set to discoverable mode while the device is locked is affected by this vulnerability.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataApply the December 2019 Samsung security update (SVE-2019-15533) or later. Users should ensure Bluetooth is disabled or not set to discoverable mode when the device is locked, or use MDM solutions to enforce Bluetooth policies.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-20535 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-20535 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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