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NotesApplication · Samsung

CVE-2021-25492

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-10-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.3.02.61 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Lack of boundary checking of a buffer in libSPenBase library of Samsung Notes prior to Samsung Note version 4.3.02.61 allows OOB read.

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

Out-of-bounds (OOB) read vulnerability in the libSPenBase library of Samsung Notes app due to missing boundary checking when accessing a buffer. This allows an attacker to read memory outside the intended buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive data. The vulnerability affects Samsung Notes versions prior to 4.3.02.61.

MitigationUpdate Samsung Notes application to version 4.3.02.61 or later, which includes proper boundary checking in the libSPenBase library.

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
NotesApplication
Affected:<= 4.3.02.61

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

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

  1. Locate Samsung Notes application
    Open Android Settings > Apps > Apps and search for 'Samsung Notes', or use ADB command: adb shell pm list packages | grep samsung.notes
    Affected if Samsung Notes is not installed on the device - the vulnerability does not apply
  2. Retrieve Samsung Notes version number
    In Android Settings > Apps > Samsung Notes > App info, note the version displayed (format: X.X.XX.XX); or use ADB: adb shell dumpsys package com.samsung.android.app.notes | grep versionName
    Affected if Unable to determine version - manual inspection required
  3. Compare installed version to affected range
    Compare the retrieved version number against the affected threshold: 4.3.02.61. Versions prior to 4.3.02.61 are vulnerable (e.g., 4.3.02.60, 4.3.01.20, etc.). Note that version 4.3.02.61 itself is NOT affected as it contains the fix
    Affected if Version is lower than 4.3.02.61 - the device is affected by CVE-2021-25492
  4. Verify libSPenBase library presence (optional confirmation)
    If Samsung Notes is installed, the libSPenBase library resides within the app APK at /data/app/~package~/lib/arm64/libSPenBase.so. This library is present in all affected versions - its absence would indicate a non-standard installation
    Affected if Samsung Notes is installed but libSPenBase library cannot be found - unusual configuration requiring further investigation

A device is affected if Samsung Notes is installed with a version number lower than 4.3.02.61; devices without Samsung Notes installed or running version 4.3.02.61 or later are not affected.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.3.02.61
Interim mitigation

Update Samsung Notes application to version 4.3.02.61 or later, which includes proper boundary checking in the libSPenBase library.

Recommended fix High confidence

Samsung Notes version 4.3.02.61 or later

  1. Open the Samsung Notes app on your Samsung device
  2. Tap the menu (three lines or More options)
  3. Go to Settings or About Notes
  4. Check the current version under 'Version' or 'About'
  5. If version is 4.3.02.61 or lower, update via Samsung Galaxy Store or Google Play Store
  6. Ensure the update is to version 4.3.02.61 or later

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Notes Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,888.

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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-2021-25492 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