dbcve.org
InternetApplication · Samsung

CVE-2021-25520

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-12-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 16.0.2 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
Insecure caller check and input validation vulnerabilities in SearchKeyword deeplink logic prior to Samsung Internet 16.0.2 allows unstrusted applications to execute script codes in Samsung Internet.

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 · moderate confidence

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Samsung Internet browser's SearchKeyword deeplink handler. The vulnerability stems from both insecure caller validation (allowing untrusted applications to invoke the deeplink) and insufficient input sanitization of the keyword parameter, enabling script code injection into the browser context.

MitigationUpgrade Samsung Internet to version 16.0.2 or later. For enterprise deployments, inventory all managed devices, push the browser update, and verify successful patching.

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
InternetApplication
Affected:< 16.0.2

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

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

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

  1. Locate Samsung Internet browser on the device
    Navigate to Settings > Apps on the Android device and search for 'Samsung Internet' in the installed applications list
    Affected if Samsung Internet browser is not found on the device, the device is not affected by this specific vulnerability
  2. Identify the installed Samsung Internet version
    Tap on Samsung Internet in the Apps list, then view the 'App info' or 'Version' field displayed under the app name. Alternatively, use ADB command: adb shell dumpsys package com.sec.android.app.sbrowser | grep versionName
    Affected if The displayed version number cannot be determined or the app is not present
  3. Compare version against the vulnerable range
    Take the version number identified (for example, 16.0.1, 15.0.3, or 14.0) and determine if it is less than 16.0.2. Note that version 16.0.2 itself and later versions (16.0.3, 17.0, etc.) are patched
    Affected if The installed version is any release prior to 16.0.2 (for example, 16.0.1.0, 15.0.2.0, 14.2.0, or earlier)
  4. Verify the SearchKeyword deeplink handler presence (optional context)
    The vulnerable component is the SearchKeyword deeplink (sbinternet://SearchKeyword?keyword=...). This handler is built into Samsung Internet and is active by default in affected versions. No additional configuration needs to be enabled for the vulnerability to exist
    Affected if This check confirms the vulnerable component exists in the browser; combined with version < 16.0.2, the device is exploitable

The device is affected if Samsung Internet browser is installed with any version lower than 16.0.2.

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 16.0.2 or later
Fixed in 16.0.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Samsung Internet to version 16.0.2 or later. For enterprise deployments, inventory all managed devices, push the browser update, and verify successful patching.

Recommended fix High confidence

Samsung Internet 16.0.2

  1. Open the Samsung Internet browser on your device
  2. Navigate to the app settings or access the menu
  3. Look for 'About Internet' or 'Samsung Internet' in the settings
  4. Check for updates through the Galaxy Store or standard app update mechanism
  5. Update to version 16.0.2 or later

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

Fix this in Internet Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $910
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,456.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2021-25520 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