CVE-2021-25497
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 · uneditedA possible buffer overflow vulnerability in maetd_cpy_slice of libSPenBase library of Samsung Notes prior to Samsung Notes version 4.3.02.61 allows arbitrary code execution.
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 buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the maetd_cpy_slice function within the libSPenBase library used by Samsung Notes. The function fails to properly validate buffer sizes before copying data, allowing an attacker to overflow buffers and potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability is fixed in Samsung Notes version 4.3.02.61.
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< 4.3.02.61CVSS 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 installed Samsung Notes versionOn Android device, go to Settings > Apps > Samsung Notes and view the Version field, or use command: adb shell dumpsys package com.samsung.android.app.snote | grep versionNameAffected if Version number displayed is lower than 4.3.02.61 (for example 4.3.01.22 or 4.2.x.x)
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Confirm package name of installed appUse adb shell pm list packages | grep -i note or check app info in Settings to identify the exact package name for Samsung Notes on your deviceAffected if Package name differs from expected Samsung Notes package (variants exist across device models)
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Verify the vulnerable library is presentCheck if libSPenBase library exists on the device: adb shell find /data -name 'libSPenBase*' 2>/dev/null or check within the app's lib directoryAffected if The libSPenBase library file is found in the Samsung Notes app directory (indicates the vulnerable component is installed)
If Samsung Notes version is below 4.3.02.61 and the libSPenBase library is present, the environment is vulnerable to this buffer overflow when processing pen/stylus input files.
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 · scoped4.3.02.61
Update Samsung Notes to version 4.3.02.61 or later. Until then, avoid using Samsung Notes with untrusted input or untrusted pen/stylus input files that could trigger the vulnerable code path.
Samsung Notes version 4.3.02.61 or later
- Open Samsung Notes application on your Samsung Galaxy device
- Navigate to the app settings or About section within Samsung Notes
- Check the current installed version of Samsung Notes
- If the version is below 4.3.02.61, update the application by opening Samsung Galaxy Store or your device's app store
- Search for Samsung Notes and select Update to install version 4.3.02.61 or later
- Alternatively, ensure automatic app updates are enabled in the Galaxy Store to receive the security patch automatically
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-25497 — 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-2021-25497 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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