CVE-2025-20967 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) affecting Samsung Gallery applications on Samsung Mobile devices. The flaw exists in versions prior to 14.5.10.3 for Global Android 13, 14.5.09.3 for China Android 13, and 15.5.04.5 for Android 14. The vulnerability allows an attacker to read and write arbitrary files with the privileges of the Samsung Gallery app. This implies that an attacker could potentially access or modify files that should be protected, leveraging the app's permissions. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.1, indicating a medium impact, with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N. This means the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and affects confidentiality and integrity but not availability. The scope is unchanged (S:U). No known exploits are reported in the wild yet. The vulnerability arises from improper access control mechanisms within the Samsung Gallery app, which fails to adequately restrict file operations, allowing unauthorized file read/write actions. Given the app’s role in managing user media, exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure or tampering of personal data stored on the device. Since the attack vector is local, an attacker would need physical or local access to the device or be able to execute code locally to exploit this issue. The lack of required user interaction lowers the barrier once local access is obtained. The vulnerability affects multiple Android versions and regional variants of Samsung Gallery, indicating a broad potential impact across Samsung device users running these OS versions.

For European organizations, the impact primarily concerns employees using vulnerable Samsung devices with affected Gallery app versions. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access or modification of sensitive files stored on devices, potentially including corporate documents or media. This could result in data leakage, integrity compromise, or privacy violations, especially if devices are used for work purposes or contain sensitive information. Although the attack requires local access, scenarios such as device theft, insider threats, or malicious apps gaining local execution could enable exploitation. The vulnerability does not directly affect availability, so denial-of-service risks are minimal. However, the confidentiality and integrity impacts could undermine trust in mobile device security and complicate compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR if personal or corporate data is compromised. Organizations relying on Samsung devices should consider this vulnerability in their mobile device management and security policies. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits over time.

1. Immediate patching: Organizations should prioritize updating Samsung Gallery to versions 14.5.10.3 (Global Android 13), 14.5.09.3 (China Android 13), or 15.5.04.5 (Android 14) or later where the vulnerability is fixed. 2. Mobile device management (MDM): Enforce policies that restrict installation of unauthorized apps and monitor device compliance to prevent local code execution by untrusted sources. 3. Device access controls: Implement strong device-level authentication (PIN, biometrics) to reduce risk of unauthorized local access. 4. Data encryption: Ensure full-disk encryption and secure storage mechanisms are enabled to limit data exposure even if file access controls fail. 5. User awareness: Educate users about risks of physical device loss/theft and encourage reporting lost devices promptly. 6. Application sandboxing: Review and restrict permissions granted to apps, minimizing the attack surface. 7. Incident response readiness: Prepare to investigate and respond to potential data breaches involving mobile devices. 8. Monitor Samsung security advisories for patches and updates related to this vulnerability and deploy them promptly.