CVE-2025-21005 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in Samsung Mobile's isemtelephony component, affecting devices running Android versions prior to Android 15. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-284, which pertains to improper access control. Specifically, this flaw allows local attackers—those with some level of access to the device but not necessarily elevated privileges—to bypass intended access restrictions and gain access to sensitive information stored or processed by the isemtelephony service. The isemtelephony component is integral to telephony services on Samsung mobile devices, handling communication between the device and the cellular network. Improper access control here means that the component does not adequately restrict which processes or users can access certain sensitive telephony data, potentially exposing private user information such as subscriber identity, network parameters, or other telephony-related data. The CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 reflects a medium severity, with the vector indicating that exploitation requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), privileges at the level of a standard user (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and impacts confidentiality (C:H) but not integrity (I:N) or availability (A:N). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, suggesting that mitigation may rely on vendor updates or configuration changes once available. The vulnerability does not require user interaction, making it more straightforward for an attacker with local access to exploit. However, the requirement for local access and low privileges limits the attack surface primarily to scenarios where an attacker has physical access or has already compromised a lower-privileged user account on the device.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-21005 can be significant, especially for those relying heavily on Samsung mobile devices for business communications and sensitive data handling. The exposure of sensitive telephony information could lead to privacy breaches, unauthorized tracking, or leakage of subscriber identity information, which may be leveraged for further attacks such as SIM swapping or targeted phishing. Organizations in sectors with stringent data protection requirements—such as finance, healthcare, and government—could face regulatory repercussions under GDPR if personal data is compromised. Additionally, the vulnerability could undermine trust in mobile device security, affecting mobile workforce productivity and secure communications. Since the vulnerability requires local access, the risk is heightened in environments where devices are shared, lost, or physically accessible to unauthorized personnel. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk, but the medium severity and potential for sensitive data exposure warrant proactive mitigation.

To mitigate CVE-2025-21005 effectively, European organizations should: 1) Ensure all Samsung mobile devices are updated to Android 15 or later as soon as updates become available, as the vulnerability affects versions prior to Android 15. 2) Implement strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to devices, including enforcing device lock policies with strong authentication mechanisms (PIN, biometric). 3) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to monitor device compliance, enforce security policies, and remotely wipe or lock devices if lost or stolen. 4) Limit the installation of untrusted or unnecessary applications that could exploit local access to leverage this vulnerability. 5) Educate users about the risks of local device access and encourage reporting of lost or stolen devices promptly. 6) Monitor for any vendor advisories or patches related to isemtelephony and apply them immediately upon release. 7) Consider network-level protections and anomaly detection to identify suspicious telephony-related activities that could indicate exploitation attempts.