CVE-2025-20996 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) affecting Samsung Mobile's Smart Switch application installed on non-Samsung devices prior to version 3.7.64.10. Smart Switch is a utility designed to facilitate data transfer and device migration, typically between Samsung devices, but it is also available for installation on non-Samsung Android devices. The vulnerability arises from improper authorization checks within the application, allowing a local attacker with limited privileges (low-level privileges) to read data accessible to the Smart Switch application. Exploitation requires user interaction, meaning the attacker must trick or convince the user to trigger the vulnerability, for example, by opening a malicious file or application that leverages the flaw. The CVSS v3.1 score is 5.0, reflecting a medium impact primarily on confidentiality (high confidentiality impact), with no impact on integrity or availability. The attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring low complexity (AC:L) and low privileges (PR:L), but user interaction (UI:R) is necessary. The scope remains unchanged (S:U), indicating the vulnerability affects only the Smart Switch application context and does not extend beyond it. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no patches or updates are linked yet, though the fixed version is identified as 3.7.64.10 or later. This vulnerability could allow unauthorized local users to access sensitive data managed by Smart Switch, potentially exposing personal or device migration data if exploited.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-20996 is primarily on confidentiality, as unauthorized local users could access sensitive data handled by the Smart Switch application on non-Samsung devices. While the vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, it could be leveraged in environments where devices are shared, or where attackers gain limited user privileges, such as in corporate BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenarios or in environments with lax endpoint security controls. The exposure of sensitive data could lead to privacy violations, data leakage, or facilitate further attacks by revealing information useful for lateral movement or social engineering. Since the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability, the risk of data tampering or service disruption is low. However, the presence of this vulnerability on devices used within European enterprises or by employees could undermine data protection compliance, especially under GDPR, if personal data is exposed. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the medium severity and ease of local exploitation warrant proactive mitigation.

To mitigate CVE-2025-20996, European organizations should: 1) Ensure all instances of Samsung Smart Switch on non-Samsung devices are updated to version 3.7.64.10 or later as soon as the patch is available. 2) Restrict installation of Smart Switch on non-Samsung devices where not necessary, especially in corporate environments. 3) Implement endpoint security controls to limit local user privileges and prevent unauthorized local access. 4) Educate users about the risk of social engineering and the need to avoid interacting with suspicious files or prompts that could trigger the vulnerability. 5) Monitor devices for unusual access patterns to Smart Switch data or unexpected application behavior. 6) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce application version control and restrict installation of vulnerable software. 7) Conduct regular security assessments on BYOD devices to identify and remediate vulnerable applications. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling the application presence, user behavior, and local privilege management specific to this vulnerability's exploitation vector.