CVE-2025-20958 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in Samsung Mobile Devices, specifically affecting the UnifiedWFC component prior to the SMR (Security Maintenance Release) May-2025 Release 1. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-925, which pertains to improper verification of intent by a broadcast receiver. Broadcast receivers in Android are components that listen for system-wide or application-specific broadcast messages (intents). In this case, the UnifiedWFC broadcast receiver fails to properly verify the authenticity or intent of incoming broadcast messages. This flaw allows a local attacker—someone with limited access to the device—to manipulate Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) related behaviors. VoWiFi is a feature that enables voice calls over Wi-Fi networks instead of cellular networks, often used to improve call quality or coverage indoors. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.4, indicating a medium level of severity. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L) reveals that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), and low privileges (PR:L), but no user interaction (UI:N). The impact affects integrity and availability but not confidentiality. Specifically, an attacker could alter the behavior of VoWiFi services, potentially causing service disruption or manipulation of call routing or quality, but without direct data leakage. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or updates have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in November 2024 and published in May 2025, indicating recent discovery and disclosure. Since the flaw requires local access, exploitation would likely involve an attacker having physical access to the device or the ability to run code locally, such as through a malicious app or compromised user environment. The improper verification of intent suggests that the broadcast receiver does not adequately authenticate or validate incoming intents, allowing crafted intents to trigger unintended behaviors in the VoWiFi subsystem.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-20958 primarily concerns mobile device security and the reliability of VoWiFi services. Many enterprises and public sector entities in Europe rely on Samsung mobile devices for communication, including VoWiFi for enhanced call quality and connectivity in indoor or low-signal environments. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could disrupt voice communications, degrade service availability, or manipulate call routing, potentially affecting business continuity and operational communications. Although the vulnerability does not directly compromise data confidentiality, the integrity and availability impacts could lead to denial of service or degraded user experience. Given the requirement for local access and low privileges, the risk is higher in environments where devices are shared, physically accessible, or where users might install untrusted applications. This could include field workers, contractors, or employees in high-traffic public areas. The disruption of VoWiFi could also impact emergency communications or critical services relying on mobile voice connectivity. Additionally, manipulation of VoWiFi behavior could be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain, for example, to facilitate social engineering or intercept calls if combined with other vulnerabilities.

To mitigate CVE-2025-20958, European organizations should take the following specific actions: 1. Ensure timely deployment of Samsung's SMR May-2025 Release 1 or later updates that address this vulnerability. Monitor Samsung's official security advisories and update management systems accordingly. 2. Restrict local access to mobile devices by enforcing strong physical security policies, including device lock screens, secure storage, and controlled access in shared or public environments. 3. Implement strict application control policies to prevent installation of untrusted or potentially malicious applications that could exploit local vulnerabilities. 4. Monitor device behavior for anomalies in VoWiFi functionality, such as unexpected call routing changes or service disruptions, which could indicate exploitation attempts. 5. Educate users about the risks of installing unverified apps and the importance of maintaining device security hygiene. 6. For organizations with mobile device management (MDM) solutions, configure policies to restrict broadcast intents or monitor intent traffic where possible, to detect or block suspicious activity targeting broadcast receivers. 7. Coordinate with telecommunications providers to ensure fallback mechanisms are robust in case VoWiFi services are disrupted. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local access vectors, monitoring specific VoWiFi behaviors, and leveraging update management and MDM capabilities tailored to this vulnerability.