CVE-2021-25487
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 · uneditedLack of boundary checking of a buffer in set_skb_priv() of modem interface driver prior to SMR Oct-2021 Release 1 allows OOB read and it results in arbitrary code execution by dereference of invalid function pointer.
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 confidenceOut-of-bounds read vulnerability in the set_skb_priv() function of Samsung's modem interface driver due to missing boundary checks when handling a buffer. The OOB read can be leveraged to dereference an invalid function pointer, leading to arbitrary code execution.
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= 10.0= 11.0CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 the Android versionCheck the device settings under 'About Phone' > 'Android version' or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' in ADB shellAffected if The version is 8.1, 9.0, 10.0, or 11.0
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Confirm the device is a Samsung deviceVerify the manufacturer is Samsung by checking 'About Phone' > 'Manufacturer' or running 'getprop ro.product.manufacturer' in ADB shellAffected if The manufacturer is Samsung (the vulnerability is specific to Samsung Android devices)
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Check the Samsung Maintenance Release (SMR) patch levelRun 'getprop ro.build.version.sem' or 'getprop ro.vendor.build.security_patch' in ADB shell to obtain the SMR dateAffected if The SMR date is earlier than October 2021 (SMR Oct-2021 Release 1 or later contains the fix)
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Verify the modem interface driver is presentCheck for the presence of the modem interface driver module by examining /proc/modules or running 'lsmod' in ADB shell for network/communication driver modulesAffected if The device uses a modem interface driver with the vulnerable set_skb_priv() function (typical in Samsung devices with cellular connectivity)
A Samsung Android device running version 8.1, 9.0, 10.0, or 11.0 with an SMR patch level earlier than Oct-2021 Release 1 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.
dbcve · scopedApply Samsung's SMR Oct-2021 Release 1 or later security patch which adds proper boundary validation in the modem interface driver to prevent the OOB read condition.
Samsung SMR Oct-2021 Release 1 or later
- 1. Go to Settings on your Samsung Android device
- 2. Navigate to Settings > Software update (or Settings > System > Software update on some devices)
- 3. Tap on 'Download and install' to check for available updates
- 4. If the October 2021 SMR (SMR-OCT-2021) or later update is available, download and install it
- 5. After installation, verify the patch level in Settings > About phone > Software information matches October 2021 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,792.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-25487 — 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-2021-25487 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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