dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2026-20983

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-04
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Improper export of android application components in Samsung Dialer prior to SMR Feb-2026 Release 1 allows local attackers to launch arbitrary activity with Samsung Dialer privilege.

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

The Samsung Dialer application has Android components (likely activities) that are improperly exported without appropriate access controls. This allows any locally installed app to launch arbitrary activities within the Samsung Dialer context, potentially abusing the dialer's privileges for malicious purposes such as bypassing security restrictions or accessing sensitive functionality.

MitigationApply the SMR Feb-2026 Release 1 patch which sets android:exported="false" or appropriate permission requirements on the vulnerable Dialer components in the AndroidManifest.xml.

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= 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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 if Samsung Dialer is installed
    Run 'pm list packages | grep samsung.dialer' via adb shell, or check app settings/package manager for packages containing 'samsung.dialer' or 'com.samsung.android.dialer'
    Affected if Samsung Dialer package is present on the device
  2. Check the Samsung Dialer version
    Run 'dumpsys package com.samsung.android.dialer | grep versionName' via adb shell to retrieve the installed version
    Affected if Version matches Android 14.0 or 15.0 as listed in the affected versions for this CVE
  3. Verify exported activity components
    Decompile the Samsung Dialer APK and inspect AndroidManifest.xml for <activity> elements with android:exported="true" that lack android:permission attributes, or run 'adb shell dumpsys package com.samsung.android.dialer' and review the activity resolver entries
    Affected if Any Dialer activity components are exported without permission protection (android:exported="true" with no android:permission or with an unprotected intent-filter)
  4. Confirm component export status at runtime
    Use 'adb shell pm dump com.samsung.android.dialer | grep -A 5 "Activity Resolver"' to inspect runtime-exported components, or use an app like Package Manager to view exported activities for the dialer
    Affected if Exported activities are visible to other applications and can be launched by any locally installed app

If Samsung Dialer is installed on Android 14.0 or 15.0 and has any improperly exported activity components accessible without permission, the device is affected by this 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 Feb-2026 Release 1 patch which sets android:exported="false" or appropriate permission requirements on the vulnerable Dialer components in the AndroidManifest.xml.

Recommended fix High confidence

SMR Feb-2026 Release 1 or later for Samsung Dialer

  1. Open Settings on the Samsung device
  2. Go to Apps > Samsung Dialer (or search for Dialer)
  3. Tap on the Dialer app
  4. Tap on Menu (three dots) or look for update option
  5. Check for updates or install the latest available update
  6. Alternatively, open Samsung Galaxy Store and search for Samsung Dialer to update
  7. Ensure the device is connected to Wi-Fi and charged during update

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,370
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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-2026-20983 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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