CVE-2021-25362
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 improper permission management in CertInstaller prior to SMR APR-2021 Release 1 allows untrusted applications to delete certain local files.
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 confidenceCertInstaller in Samsung mobile devices prior to SMR APR-2021 Release 1 has improper permission management that allows untrusted third-party applications to delete certain local system files. This is a local privilege escalation vulnerability where malicious apps can bypass normal Android permission checks to remove files they should not have access to.
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= 8.1= 9.0= 10.0CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
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 manufacturerCheck if the device is a Samsung device by reviewing the device settings under 'About phone' > 'Manufacturer' or checking the build information (settings > about phone > model number)Affected if The device is not a Samsung mobile device - this CVE only affects Samsung devices with CertInstaller
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Check Android versionNavigate to Settings > About phone > Android version. Confirm the exact version number displayed.Affected if Android version is exactly 8.1, 9.0, or 10.0 - these are the specific affected versions listed in the CVE
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Verify Samsung SMR firmware versionGo to Settings > About phone > Software information > Samsung maintenance release (SMR) version. Compare the SMR date to APR-2021 Release 1.Affected if SMR version is earlier than APR-2021 Release 1, or the SMR field is missing/unavailable indicating an unpatched firmware
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Check CertInstaller package statusOn the Samsung device, navigate to Settings > Apps > CertInstaller (or search for 'CertInstaller' in the app list). Verify if the package is installed and note its version if displayed.Affected if CertInstaller is present on the device - the vulnerability exists within this component
A Samsung device running Android 8.1, 9.0, or 10.0 with an SMR version earlier than APR-2021 Release 1 and with CertInstaller installed 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 Samsung SMR APR-2021 Release 1 or later firmware update to patch CertInstaller. Organizations should inventory Samsung devices and ensure they receive available system updates.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-25362 — 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-2021-25362 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
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