dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2023-21426

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
Hardcoded AES key to encrypt cardemulation PINs in NFC prior to SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 allows attackers to access cardemulation PIN.

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

Samsung mobile devices prior to SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 contain a hardcoded AES encryption key in the NFC firmware used to protect cardemulation PINs. An attacker with access to the device or firmware can extract this hardcoded key and decrypt stored cardemulation PIN data, potentially enabling unauthorized access to payment or authentication functions.

MitigationUpdate device to Samsung SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 or later which removes the hardcoded AES key and implements proper key management.

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:= 10.0

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
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checks

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

  1. Check the Android OS version on the Samsung device
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run `getprop ro.build.version.release` via ADB
    Affected if The device is running Android version 10.0 exactly (the only affected version listed)
  2. Verify the device is a Samsung mobile device
    Check the device model in Settings > About Phone > Model number, or run `getprop ro.product.model` via ADB
    Affected if The device is a Samsung phone or tablet (only Samsung products are affected by this CVE)
  3. Confirm NFC is enabled on the device
    Check Settings > Connections > NFC and contactless payments, or check if NFC is active in the quick settings panel
    Affected if NFC is turned on - the vulnerability exists in the NFC firmware component
  4. Identify if any cardemulation or NFC payment apps are installed
    Check for Samsung Pay, Google Pay, or other contactless payment apps in the app drawer, or review Settings > Connections > NFC and contactless payments > Tap and pay for registered apps
    Affected if Cardemulation payment or authentication apps are registered - the hardcoded key protects these stored PINs
  5. Inspect NFC firmware for hardcoded cryptographic material (advanced)
    Extract and analyze the NFC firmware image (typically found in /vendor/firmware/ or /system/etc/firmware/ depending on device), search for AES key patterns or hardcoded 128-bit/256-bit keys in the binary
    Affected if A static AES key is found embedded in the NFC firmware binary - this confirms the vulnerable key is present

A Samsung device running Android version 10.0 with NFC enabled and cardemulation apps installed is affected if the NFC firmware contains a hardcoded AES key.

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 device to Samsung SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 or later which removes the hardcoded AES key and implements proper key management.

Recommended fix High confidence

Samsung SMR Jan-2023 Release 1 or later

  1. Identify your Samsung device model number
  2. Navigate to Settings > Software update on your Samsung device
  3. Check for and install the latest Samsung security update
  4. Verify the installed SMR version is January-2023 Release 1 or later (SMR Jan-2023 or newer)
Caveat Security updates typically have minimal risk; ensure device is charged and backed up before updating

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,800
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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-2023-21426 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