CVE-2021-25353
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 · uneditedUsing empty PendingIntent in Galaxy Themes prior to version 5.2.00.1215 allows local attackers to read/write private file directories of Galaxy Themes application without permission via hijacking the PendingIntent.
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 confidenceThe Galaxy Themes Android application uses an empty PendingIntent without proper security flags, allowing a local attacker to hijack this intent and execute actions with the app's permissions. This enables unauthorized read/write access to the app's private file directories.
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< 5.2.00.1215CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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.
-
Confirm Galaxy Themes app is installedOpen Android Settings > Apps > Applications Manager, then search for 'Galaxy Themes' or locate it in the app list. Alternatively, run: `adb shell pm list packages | grep -i galaxythemes`Affected if The app is present on the device
-
Retrieve the installed version numberIn Settings > Apps > Galaxy Themes, view the version info listed under the app name. Or via ADB: `adb shell dumpsys package com.samsung.android.app.themes | grep versionName`Affected if A version number is displayed (proceeds to version check)
-
Compare installed version to affected rangeReview the version number obtained and compare it against the affected range: versions lower than 5.2.00.1215 are vulnerable. Note that version format may appear as 5.2.00.1215, 5.2.00.1215_X, or similar.Affected if Installed version is less than 5.2.00.1215 (e.g., 5.2.00.1200, 5.1.05, etc.)
-
Verify the PendingIntent vulnerability exists (optional deeper check)Decompile the APK and inspect code for PendingIntent creation without FLAG_IMMUTABLE or FLAG_EXCLUDE_CURRENT_PENDING_INTENT. Look for PendingIntent.getActivity, PendingIntent.getService, or PendingIntent.getBroadcast calls lacking security flags.Affected if Code analysis reveals empty PendingIntent without FLAG_IMMUTABLE set (requires APK reverse engineering)
User is affected if Galaxy Themes is installed and the version is below 5.2.00.1215, enabling a local attacker to hijack PendingIntents for unauthorized file access.
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 data5.2.00.1215
Update Galaxy Themes to version 5.2.00.1215 or later, which properly secures the PendingIntent. If unable to update, ensure PendingIntents use FLAG_IMMUTABLE or specify explicit component names to prevent hijacking.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,576.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-25353 — 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-2021-25353 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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