dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2025-20909

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-06
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
Use of implicit intent for sensitive communication in Settings prior to SMR Mar-2025 Release 1 allows local attackers to access sensitive information.

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 a Samsung Android vulnerability in the Settings application where implicit intents are used to transmit sensitive information. Implicit intents don't specify a target component, allowing local malicious applications to intercept the broadcast and access sensitive data being passed between Settings components.

MitigationReplace implicit intents with explicit intents that specify the exact component to receive sensitive data, or use protected broadcasts for sensitive communications.

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:= 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
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 Android version on Samsung device
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB
    Affected if Version is 14.0 (exact match to affected version)
  2. Confirm Samsung-specific Android build
    Check that the device is Samsung hardware - verify via 'getprop ro.product manufacturer' returns 'samsung' or check Settings > About Phone > Manufacturer
    Affected if Device is not a Samsung product (this CVE specifically affects Samsung Android)
  3. Verify Settings application is present and enabled
    Confirm Samsung Settings app is installed - check in Settings > Apps > Settings, or run 'pm list packages | grep settings' via ADB
    Affected if Settings app is disabled or missing (the vulnerability cannot be exploited if Settings app is not in use)
  4. Check for third-party apps with intent interception capabilities
    Review installed applications for those with permission to intercept broadcasts - examine apps with 'android.permission.BROADCAST_STICKY' or 'android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED' in manifest
    Affected if Malicious or untrusted third-party apps with broadcast interception permissions are installed alongside vulnerable Settings
  5. Audit implicit intent usage in Settings (requires source or decompilation)
    Static analysis of Settings APK or source code to identify implicit intent broadcasts containing sensitive data - look for sendBroadcast() calls without specifying target component
    Affected if Implicit intents are found sending sensitive data without package/component restriction

Device is affected if running Samsung Android 14.0 with the Settings app enabled and a malicious app can intercept the unprotected broadcasts from Settings components.

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

Replace implicit intents with explicit intents that specify the exact component to receive sensitive data, or use protected broadcasts for sensitive communications.

Recommended fix High confidence

SMR Mar-2025 Release 1 (Samsung Security Update)

  1. Open Settings on the Samsung device running Android 14.0
  2. Navigate to Software update or System update (usually under Settings > Software update or Settings > About phone > Software update)
  3. Tap on Check for updates or Download and install
  4. Wait for the SMR Mar-2025 Release 1 security update to download
  5. Restart the device if prompted to complete the installation

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
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2025-20909 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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