dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2025-20959

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-05-07
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 Wi-Fi P2P service prior to SMR May-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 · high confidence

This is a Samsung mobile vulnerability (SMR) where the Wi-Fi P2P (Wi-Fi Direct) service uses implicit Android intents to transmit sensitive data. Implicit intents can be intercepted by any app on the device that registers to handle them, allowing a malicious local app to eavesdrop on sensitive peer-to-peer communication between devices.

MitigationSamsung device owners should update to the SMR May-2025 Release 1 or later to receive the security patch. Organizations with Samsung devices in sensitive environments should prioritize this update and ensure enterprise mobility management policies enforce timely patching.

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:= 13.0= 14.0= 15.0

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. Confirm device manufacturer is Samsung
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Manufacturer or Model name. Verify the device is made by Samsung.
    Affected if Device is not a Samsung product - not affected by this specific Samsung SMR vulnerability.
  2. Check Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version. Record the exact Android version number.
    Affected if Android version is 13.0, 14.0, or 15.0 - falls within the affected versions for this CVE.
  3. Verify Wi-Fi P2P (Wi-Fi Direct) status
    Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi Direct, or check quick settings for Wi-Fi Direct icon. Determine if the feature has been enabled or used.
    Affected if Wi-Fi P2P is actively enabled or has been used - the vulnerable intent transmission is in play.
  4. Audit installed applications for intent interception capability
    Review installed apps in Settings > Apps. Look for unfamiliar or untrusted apps with permissions that could register for Wi-Fi P2P related intents (especially those with activity receiver permissions).
    Affected if A malicious local app with intent interception capabilities is installed - could exploit this vulnerability.

A Samsung device running Android 13.0, 14.0, or 15.0 that uses Wi-Fi P2P functionality is potentially affected if any untrusted app can intercept the implicit intents used by the service.

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

Samsung device owners should update to the SMR May-2025 Release 1 or later to receive the security patch. Organizations with Samsung devices in sensitive environments should prioritize this update and ensure enterprise mobility management policies enforce timely patching.

Recommended fix High confidence

SMR May-2025 Release 1 (security patch level May-2025)

  1. Navigate to Settings > Security and privacy > Security update on your Samsung Galaxy device
  2. Check if the May-2025 security update (SMR May-2025 Release 1) is available for your specific device model
  3. If available, download and install the security update immediately
  4. After installation, verify the security patch level in Settings > About phone > Software information shows the May-2025 security patch or later
  5. If the update is not yet available for your device, monitor Samsung's security bulletin page (security.samsungmobile.com) for when your model receives the patch

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
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
26.0 hours of engineering $4,360
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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-2025-20959 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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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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