dbcve.org
Exynos Modem 5300 FirmwareOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2023-26497

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-21
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
An issue was discovered in Samsung Baseband Modem Chipset for Exynos Modem 5123, Exynos Modem 5300, Exynos 980, Exynos 1080, and Exynos Auto T5125. Memory corruption can occur when processing Session Description Negotiation for Video Configuration Attribute.

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

Memory corruption vulnerability in Samsung Exynos baseband modems (5123, 5300, 980, 1080, Auto T5125) triggered during Session Description Protocol (SDP) negotiation for video configuration attributes. The lack of proper bounds checking when parsing video-related SDP content allows an attacker to overflow memory buffers, potentially achieving remote code execution in the modem's trusted execution environment.

MitigationApply vendor-provided firmware updates from Samsung for affected chipset generations. Until patches are available, limit exposure by avoiding untrusted network connections and monitoring for anomalous modem behavior.

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 Modem 5300 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Exynos Modem 5123 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Exynos 980 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Exynos 1080 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Exynos Auto T5123 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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 checks

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

  1. Identify the Exynos modem model
    Query the modem using AT commands such as AT+CGMM (model), AT+CGMI (manufacturer), or AT+CGSN (IMEI) to determine the chipset. Alternatively, check device system information or modem diagnostics if available.
    Affected if The device contains Exynos Modem 5123, 5300, 980, 1080, or Auto T5123.
  2. Check the modem firmware version
    Query the firmware version using AT+CGMR or similar modem AT commands. Compare against any available version information from Samsung's security advisories.
    Affected if All firmware versions of the affected modems are vulnerable; if the modem is one of the listed models, it is affected regardless of version.
  3. Determine if video SDP negotiation is in use
    Monitor network traffic or modem logs for SDP (Session Description Protocol) messages, particularly those containing video configuration attributes (e.g., m=video lines, a=fmtp, a=rtpmap). Check if the device initiates or responds to video calls or streaming sessions.
    Affected if The vulnerability is triggered specifically during SDP negotiation for video configuration; if video SDP is processed by the modem, the exploit path exists.
  4. Inspect for anomalous modem behavior or crashes
    Review modem crash logs, baseband dump files, or device kernel logs (via adb logcat or similar) for memory corruption indicators, unexpected reboots, or baseband subsystem failures. Check for any unexpected modem restart events.
    Affected if Unexpected modem crashes, memory corruption signatures, or baseband subsystem failures may indicate attempted or successful exploitation.
  5. Analyze network traffic for malformed SDP packets
    If you have access to network taps or can capture baseband traffic, inspect SDP packets for unusually long video attribute values, overflow patterns, or unexpected field lengths that could indicate exploitation attempts.
    Affected if Malformed SDP packets with oversized video configuration attributes indicate active exploitation attempts against this vulnerability.

A device containing any of the affected Exynos modem models (5123, 5300, 980, 1080, or Auto T5123) that processes video SDP traffic is vulnerable to this issue.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply vendor-provided firmware updates from Samsung for affected chipset generations. Until patches are available, limit exposure by avoiding untrusted network connections and monitoring for anomalous modem behavior.

Fix this in Exynos Modem 5300 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Testing16.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,440
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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-2023-26497 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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