dbcve.org
Exynos FirmwareOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2022-39881

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-11-09
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
Improper input validation vulnerability for processing SIB12 PDU in Exynos modems prior to SMR Sep-2022 Release allows remote attacker to read out of bounds memory.

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

This is an improper input validation vulnerability in Exynos modem firmware affecting SIB12 (System Information Block 12) PDU processing. SIB12 carries emergency/warning information in LTE/NR networks. The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to read out-of-bounds memory by sending specially crafted SIB12 messages to the modem, potentially exposing sensitive data from the device's memory.

MitigationApply the SMR Sep-2022 Release or later firmware update from Samsung for affected Exynos modem devices. If immediate patching is not possible, consider network-level filtering of malformed SIB12 messages as a temporary mitigation.

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
Exynos FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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. Identify Exynos modem usage
    Determine if the device uses a Samsung Exynos chipset with integrated modem. Check device specifications or baseband version string for 'Exynos' and modem identifiers.
    Affected if Device uses Exynos modem firmware and the firmware version predates the SMR Sep-2022 Release.
  2. Check baseband firmware version
    Retrieve the modem/baseband firmware version. On Android devices, this is typically found in Settings > About Phone > Baseband version, or via AT command *#12345# or through diagnostic tools. For network equipment, consult vendor-specific commands or management interfaces.
    Affected if The baseband version string cannot be determined or shows a version released before September 2022.
  3. Verify SIB12 processing capability
    Confirm the device or network equipment supports LTE/NR SIB12 processing, as this is the vulnerable component. This is typically enabled by default on any LTE or 5G-capable device using Exynos modems.
    Affected if The device processes SIB12 messages (standard LTE/NR warning system) and the firmware has not been updated to SMR Sep-2022 or later.
  4. Compare against patched release
    Cross-reference the installed firmware version against Samsung's SMR (Security Maintenance Release) September 2022 patch level. The patched version should show SMR Sep-2022 or later in the security patch date.
    Affected if The security patch date is earlier than September 2022, or the firmware predates the SMR Sep-2022 release.

A device is affected if it runs Exynos modem firmware with a security patch level earlier than SMR September 2022 and processes SIB12 messages on LTE/NR networks.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the SMR Sep-2022 Release or later firmware update from Samsung for affected Exynos modem devices. If immediate patching is not possible, consider network-level filtering of malformed SIB12 messages as a temporary mitigation.

Recommended fix High confidence

SMR Sep-2022 Release

  1. Identify the specific Exynos device/model containing the affected modem firmware
  2. Navigate to Samsung's security update portal at security.samsungmobile.com to locate the SMR Sep-2022 Release
  3. Verify the current firmware version on the affected device
  4. Apply the SMR Sep-2022 Release or later security update through the device's standard firmware update mechanism (OTA or manual firmware flash)
  5. Confirm the update was successfully applied by verifying the new firmware version
Caveat Firmware updates carry inherent risk; ensure backup of critical data and verify update compatibility with specific device model before applying

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

Fix this in Exynos Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2022-39881 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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