CVE-2023-21457
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 · uneditedImproper access control vulnerability in Bluetooth prior to SMR Mar-2023 Release 1 allows attackers to send file via Bluetooth without related permission.
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 confidenceImproper access control vulnerability in Bluetooth implementation allows unauthenticated attackers to send files to affected devices without requiring the necessary permissions. This affects Samsung mobile devices running Bluetooth software prior to the SMR March 2023 Release 1 patch.
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= 11.0= 12.0= 13.0CVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm device is a Samsung mobile phoneCheck the device manufacturer and model in Settings > About Phone > Device name or manufacturerAffected if Device is not a Samsung mobile device - this CVE only affects Samsung devices
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Check Android version is 11, 12, or 13Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version and note the version numberAffected if Android version shows 11.x, 12.x, or 13.x - these versions are within the affected range prior to the March 2023 patch
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Check Samsung security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Software information > Security patch level and note the dateAffected if Security patch level is earlier than March 2023 Release 1 (e.g., February 2023 or older) - this indicates the vulnerable version
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Verify Bluetooth is enabledCheck that Bluetooth is turned on in Settings > Bluetooth or quick settings panelAffected if Bluetooth is enabled - the vulnerability requires Bluetooth to be active for an attacker to send files without authentication
A Samsung device running Android 11, 12, or 13 with a security patch level before March 2023 Release 1 and with Bluetooth enabled is affected by this vulnerability.
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 · scopedApply the Samsung SMR Mar-2023 Release 1 or later security update to affected devices to remediate this vulnerability.
SMR Mar-2023 Release 1 or later
- Check for system updates on your Samsung Android device
- Locate and install the Samsung Security Maintenance Release (SMR) for March 2023 or later
- Verify the Bluetooth permission issue is resolved by confirming Bluetooth file transfers now require proper authorization
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 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 $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-21457 — 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-2023-21457 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