CVE-2024-49197 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the Wi-Fi component in several Samsung Mobile and Wearable Processors, specifically the Exynos series models 980, 850, 1080, 1280, 1330, 1380, 1480, W920, W930, and W1000. The vulnerability arises due to a lack of boundary checks in the STOP_KEEP_ALIVE_OFFLOAD function, which leads to an out-of-bounds memory access (CWE-125). This type of flaw can cause the system to read or write memory outside the intended buffer, potentially leading to data corruption or leakage. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.5, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N shows that the vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring privileges or user interaction, impacting confidentiality and integrity but not availability. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability could be leveraged by attackers to access sensitive information or manipulate data within the Wi-Fi subsystem, potentially undermining device security. The affected processors are widely used in Samsung smartphones and wearable devices, which are prevalent in consumer and enterprise environments. The lack of a patch link suggests that remediation may still be pending or in development. Given the nature of the flaw, exploitation could be triggered by specially crafted Wi-Fi packets targeting the vulnerable function, making it a concern for wireless network security on affected devices.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to environments where Samsung mobile and wearable devices with the affected Exynos processors are used extensively. Confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted or processed via Wi-Fi on these devices could be compromised, potentially exposing sensitive corporate information or enabling unauthorized data manipulation. This is particularly relevant for sectors relying on mobile communications for sensitive operations, such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies. The vulnerability could also be exploited in targeted attacks against employees or executives using vulnerable devices, facilitating espionage or data theft. While availability is not directly impacted, the breach of confidentiality and integrity could lead to secondary impacts such as loss of trust, regulatory penalties under GDPR, and operational disruptions. The remote network exploitability without user interaction increases the threat surface, especially in public or unsecured Wi-Fi environments common in European urban and business settings.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting the use of vulnerable Samsung devices on sensitive networks until patches are available. 2. Network administrators should implement Wi-Fi network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts targeting the STOP_KEEP_ALIVE_OFFLOAD function. 3. Employ network-level intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) with updated signatures to identify and block crafted packets exploiting this vulnerability. 4. Encourage users to update device firmware and operating systems promptly once Samsung releases official patches addressing CVE-2024-49197. 5. For organizations managing mobile device fleets, enforce mobile device management (MDM) policies that can remotely apply updates and restrict device connectivity if vulnerabilities are detected. 6. Conduct security awareness training to inform users about risks associated with connecting to untrusted Wi-Fi networks. 7. Collaborate with Samsung support channels to obtain early access to patches or workarounds and verify device inventory to identify all potentially affected hardware.