dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2023-21422

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-09
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
57/100
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
Improper authorization vulnerability in semAddPublicDnsAddr in WifiSevice prior to SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 allows attackers to set custom DNS server without permission via binding WifiService.

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

Improper authorization vulnerability in semAddPublicDnsAddr function in Samsung WifiService allows unprivileged attackers to set custom DNS servers without proper permission through binding to the WifiService, bypassing intended authorization checks.

MitigationUpdate affected Samsung mobile devices to SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 or later which contains the patched version of WifiService that enforces proper authorization for DNS configuration.

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
AndroidOperating system
Affected:= 11.0= 12.0

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
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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. Check Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB
    Affected if Version is exactly 11.0 or 12.0 (Samsung Android) - other versions are not affected by this specific CVE
  2. Confirm Samsung device
    Verify the device manufacturer is Samsung - check Settings > About Phone > Manufacturer, or run 'getprop ro.product.manufacturer' via ADB
    Affected if Device is made by Samsung - this vulnerability affects only Samsung Android implementations, not other Android devices
  3. Check Samsung Maintenance Release (SMR) date
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Software info > Build number (tap multiple times to enable developer options), then Settings > Developer options > Baseline patch level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.sem' via ADB
    Affected if SMR date is earlier than January 2023 Release 1 - devices on older SMR versions remain vulnerable; patched versions have SMR Jan-2023 or later
  4. Verify DNS configuration permission behavior
    Test if applications without network settings permission can modify DNS servers - attempt to change DNS via a third-party app that does NOT have WRITE_SETTINGS or ACCESS_NOTIFICATIONS permission
    Affected if Unprivileged apps can successfully change DNS servers without proper permissions - this indicates the authorization bypass is present

Device is affected if running Samsung Android 11.0 or 12.0 with SMR earlier than Jan-2023 Release 1 and allows unprivileged apps to modify DNS settings without authorization checks.

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

Update affected Samsung mobile devices to SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 or later which contains the patched version of WifiService that enforces proper authorization for DNS configuration.

Recommended fix High confidence

Samsung SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 or later (Android 11.0/12.0)

  1. Open Settings on the Samsung Android device
  2. Navigate to Software Update
  3. Tap Download and Install to check for and install the latest Samsung firmware
  4. Ensure the device updates to a Samsung Security Maintenance Release (SMR) that includes January 2023 Release 1 or later
  5. After update, verify the SMR version by going to Settings > About Phone > Software Information > Samsung Android Security Patch Level

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2023-21422 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
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