dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2025-20887

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-04
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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
Out-of-bounds read in accessing table used for svp8t in libsthmbc.so prior to SMR Jan-2025 Release 1 allows local attackers to read arbitrary memory. User interaction is required for triggering this vulnerability.

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

This is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in libsthmbc.so, a Samsung thumbnail library. The flaw exists in how the library accesses a table used for svp8t (likely a video thumbnail processing function). Attackers with local access can trigger the vulnerability through user interaction (such as opening a specially crafted media file), allowing them to read arbitrary memory contents beyond buffer boundaries.

MitigationApply the SMR Jan-2025 Release 1 or later Samsung firmware update to address this vulnerability. Until the update is available, avoid opening media files from untrusted sources to prevent user-interaction-based exploitation.

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:= 12.0= 13.0= 14.0

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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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. Identify the Android OS version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version and note the exact version number shown
    Affected if The version is 12.0, 13.0, or 14.0 (exact matches)
  2. Locate the vulnerable thumbnail library
    Search for the file libsthmbc.so in /system/lib64/ or /system/lib/ directory using a file manager or ADB command: 'find /system -name libsthmbc.so'
    Affected if The library libsthmbc.so exists on the device in the system directories
  3. Verify thumbnail generation is accessible
    Attempt to generate a thumbnail for a video file using the device's native gallery or media player, or check if apps have permission to access media thumbnails
    Affected if Thumbnail generation for video files (svp8t function) is accessible and processing occurs
  4. Check for untrusted media file handling
    Inspect if the device has been used to open media files from external or untrusted sources, or review app logs for thumbnail processing activity
    Affected if The device has processed or is capable of processing video files that could trigger the svp8t thumbnail processing code path

A Samsung Android device on versions 12.0, 13.0, or 14.0 that has libsthmbc.so present and can process video thumbnails is affected by this out-of-bounds read vulnerability.

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

Apply the SMR Jan-2025 Release 1 or later Samsung firmware update to address this vulnerability. Until the update is available, avoid opening media files from untrusted sources to prevent user-interaction-based exploitation.

Recommended fix High confidence

Samsung Mobile Security (SMR) Jan-2025 Release 1 or later

  1. 1. On the Samsung Android device, navigate to Settings > Security and Privacy (or Settings > Software Update on some models)
  2. 2. Tap on 'Security update' or 'Check for updates'
  3. 3. Download and install the Samsung Mobile Security (SMR) update for January 2025 Release 1 or later
  4. 4. After installation, verify the SMR version by going to Settings > Security and Privacy > Security update to confirm the device is patched

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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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-2025-20887 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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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