CVE-2022-39913 is a vulnerability identified in Samsung Mobile Devices affecting the Persona Manager component prior to Android T (Android 13). The flaw is categorized under CWE-200, which involves the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors. Specifically, this vulnerability allows a local attacker—meaning an adversary with physical or logical access to the device but without elevated privileges—to access user profile information that should otherwise be protected. The Persona Manager is responsible for managing user profiles on Samsung devices, and unauthorized access to this data could lead to privacy violations or facilitate further attacks by revealing sensitive user details. The vulnerability does not require remote exploitation or network access, but it does require local access to the device. There is no indication of known exploits in the wild, and no patches or fixes have been explicitly linked or published by Samsung as of the information available. The affected versions are unspecified, but the vulnerability is noted to exist in devices running Android versions prior to Android T (13). The exposure of sensitive information could include personal data stored within user profiles, potentially including contact information, usage patterns, or other metadata that could be leveraged for social engineering or privilege escalation. Given the nature of the vulnerability, it primarily impacts confidentiality, with limited direct impact on integrity or availability. The vulnerability is rated as medium severity by the vendor, reflecting the balance between the local access requirement and the sensitivity of the exposed information.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-39913 depends largely on the prevalence of Samsung Mobile devices within their workforce and the sensitivity of the user profile data stored on those devices. Exposure of user profile information could lead to privacy breaches, which are particularly critical under the GDPR framework in Europe, potentially resulting in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, leaked profile information could be used by attackers to craft targeted phishing or social engineering campaigns against employees, increasing the risk of further compromise. Organizations with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies or those that issue Samsung devices to employees should be particularly cautious. The vulnerability's requirement for local access limits remote exploitation, but insider threats or physical device theft could still lead to data exposure. In sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, where sensitive personal or operational data is handled, the consequences of such exposure are more severe. Moreover, the lack of an official patch increases the window of exposure, necessitating compensating controls to mitigate risk.

1. Enforce strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to devices, including secure storage and device lock policies. 2. Implement strong device authentication mechanisms such as biometrics or complex PINs to reduce the risk of unauthorized local access. 3. Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to monitor device compliance, enforce security policies, and remotely wipe devices if lost or stolen. 4. Limit the amount of sensitive information stored in user profiles on Samsung devices, or use encryption solutions that protect data at rest beyond the device's native protections. 5. Educate employees about the risks of device sharing and the importance of reporting lost or stolen devices immediately. 6. Monitor for unusual local access patterns or attempts to access user profile data on Samsung devices. 7. Stay updated with Samsung security advisories and apply patches promptly once available. 8. Consider restricting the use of affected Samsung devices in high-risk environments until a fix is released.