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VulnerabilityAwaiting classification

CVE-2026-21043

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v4.0 Published 2026-07-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click 6 weeks old

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
Path traversal in Wallpaper service prior to SMR Jul-2026 Release 1 allows local privileged attackers to access files with system server 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 · moderate confidence

This is a path traversal vulnerability in Samsung's Wallpaper service that allows local privileged attackers to escape intended directory boundaries and access files with system server privileges. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of file path inputs in the wallpaper service, enabling attackers to use path traversal sequences (such as ../) to access sensitive system files.

MitigationApply the SMR Jul-2026 Release 1 update or later, which contains the patched Wallpaper service with proper path validation. Organizations should also consider restricting local privileged access as part of a defense-in-depth strategy.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

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
High
Authentication
X
User interaction
None
Scope
X

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

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 device manufacturer
    Check if the device is a Samsung product by reviewing the device info, system properties, or boot loader screen. On Android, run 'getprop ro.product.brand' or check Settings > About Phone > Manufacturer.
    Affected if The device is NOT a Samsung product - this vulnerability applies only to Samsung's Wallpaper service
  2. Check the Samsung security patch level
    On the Samsung device, go to Settings > Security > Security policy updates, or run 'getprop ro.security.patch' to see the installed SMR (Samsung Mobile Security) patch level.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than July 2026 (SMR Jul-2026 Release 1) - the vulnerability is unpatched
  3. Verify the Wallpaper service is present
    Check if the Samsung Wallpaper service is installed on the device. On Android, list installed packages using 'pm list packages | grep wallpaper' or check for the wallpaper service process.
    Affected if The Wallpaper service is not present - the vulnerability does not apply as there is no vulnerable component
  4. Determine if local privileged access is possible
    Assess whether an attacker could obtain local privileged (system server) access on the device. Check for root access, ADB with elevated privileges, or vulnerabilities that could be chained with this flaw.
    Affected if Local privileged access is available to untrusted users - the path traversal could be exploited to escape file boundaries
  5. Confirm path traversal exposure in Wallpaper service
    Review the Wallpaper service configuration and logs for evidence of file path handling without proper validation. If possible, test with a controlled path traversal input (../) to a known file location.
    Affected if The Wallpaper service accepts unvalidated file path inputs - the vulnerability is present and exploitable

A Samsung device with the Wallpaper service present and a security patch level earlier than SMR Jul-2026 Release 1, where local privileged access exists, is affected by this path traversal 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 Jul-2026 Release 1 update or later, which contains the patched Wallpaper service with proper path validation. Organizations should also consider restricting local privileged access as part of a defense-in-depth strategy.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

SMR Jul-2026 Release 1

  1. Check current SMR version on the Samsung device in Settings > About Phone > Software Information
  2. Upgrade the device to SMR Jul-2026 Release 1 or later through Settings > Software Update > Download and Install
  3. After update, verify the Wallpaper service has been patched by confirming the SMR version matches Jul-2026 Release 1 or higher

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

Have this fixed 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-2026-21043 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data