CVE-2025-20965 is a vulnerability identified in Samsung Mobile's Voice wake-up feature, specifically related to the Bixby wakeup functionality prior to version 2.3.74.8. The root cause is an improper handling of insufficient permissions (CWE-280), which allows local attackers to bypass permission checks and access sensitive data on the device. The vulnerability does not require user interaction or prior authentication, making it accessible to any local attacker with physical or logical access to the device. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.2, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is local (AV:L), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity or availability. This means attackers can read sensitive data without altering or disrupting device functionality. Since the vulnerability affects the voice wake-up feature, which is designed to listen for voice commands and activate the assistant, improper permission handling could allow attackers to extract sensitive information from the device's voice assistant data or related stored information. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patch links are provided yet, indicating that remediation may still be pending or in progress. The vulnerability was reserved in November 2024 and published in May 2025, showing a recent disclosure timeline.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to employees or users of Samsung mobile devices with the affected Bixby wake-up versions. Sensitive corporate or personal data accessible via the voice assistant could be exposed if an attacker gains local access to the device. This could lead to leakage of confidential business information, personally identifiable information (PII), or other sensitive data stored or accessible through the voice assistant. The risk is heightened in environments where devices are shared, lost, or stolen, as no authentication or user interaction is required to exploit the flaw. While the vulnerability does not affect device integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach could undermine trust in mobile device security and potentially lead to compliance issues under GDPR if personal data is compromised. Organizations relying heavily on Samsung mobile devices for communication or data access should consider this vulnerability a moderate threat to their data confidentiality posture.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Ensure all Samsung mobile devices are updated to Bixby wake-up version 2.3.74.8 or later once the patch is released by Samsung. 2) Implement strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to devices, including device lock policies and secure storage when devices are unattended. 3) Disable or restrict the use of the Bixby wake-up feature on devices used in sensitive environments until a patch is applied. 4) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies, monitor device compliance, and remotely disable vulnerable features if necessary. 5) Educate users about the risks of leaving devices unattended and the importance of applying updates promptly. 6) Monitor for any unusual access patterns or data exfiltration attempts related to voice assistant data. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local access, feature restriction, and proactive device management tailored to this specific vulnerability.