CVE-2023-21419
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 · uneditedAn improper implementation logic in Secure Folder prior to SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 allows the Secure Folder container remain unlocked under certain condition.
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 confidenceA logic flaw in Samsung's Secure Folder implementation allows the encrypted container to remain unlocked under specific conditions. This improper authentication state persistence could expose sensitive data stored within the Secure Folder to unauthorized access.
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= 12.0CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Android versionCheck device Settings > About Phone > Android version. Confirm the installed Android version is 12.0.Affected if Android version is exactly 12.0
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Confirm Secure Folder presenceCheck if Secure Folder app is installed on the device. Look for the Secure Folder icon in the app drawer or in Settings > Security & Privacy > Secure Folder.Affected if Secure Folder is installed and has been configured with at least one item
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Check Samsung firmware versionCheck device Settings > About Phone > Software information > Samsung firmware version (SMR). The SMR (Samsung Monthly Release) should be identified.Affected if Firmware SMR version is earlier than Jan-2023 Release 1 (SMR Jan-2023)
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Test Secure Folder lock persistenceOpen Secure Folder, authenticate to unlock it, then lock the device screen. After a short period, attempt to access Secure Folder without re-authenticating to see if it remains unlocked.Affected if Secure Folder does not require re-authentication after being locked, indicating improper authentication state persistence
A user is affected if their device runs Android 12.0 with a Samsung firmware version earlier than the Jan-2023 SMR release and they use Secure Folder, which may remain unlocked improperly after the screen is locked.
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 · scopedUpdate Samsung device firmware to SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 or later to obtain the corrected Secure Folder logic.
SMR Jan-2023 Release 1
- Check for and apply the Samsung Security Maintenance Release (SMR) Jan-2023 Release 1 update for your Samsung device running Android 12.0
- Navigate to Settings > Security and privacy > Security update on your Samsung device
- Alternatively, check for system updates via Settings > Software update > Download and install
- Ensure the SMR Jan-2023 patch is installed, which includes the fix for CVE-2023-21419
- Verify the Secure Folder is now properly locking under all conditions after the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-21419 — 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-2023-21419 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data