CVE-2025-21025 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Samsung Mobile Devices, specifically related to improper access control in the MARsExemptionManager component prior to the SMR (Security Maintenance Release) September 2025 Release 1. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which pertains to improper access control mechanisms. MARsExemptionManager is responsible for managing exemptions from background execution management policies on Samsung devices. Due to this flaw, local attackers—those with physical or local access to the device—can bypass restrictions designed to limit background execution of applications or processes. This could allow malicious local applications or users to evade background execution limits, potentially leading to increased resource consumption, denial of service, or persistence of malicious processes. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.1 (medium severity), with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L indicating that exploitation requires local access but no privileges or user interaction, and impacts integrity and availability but not confidentiality. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality but can degrade system integrity and availability by allowing unauthorized background execution, which may facilitate further malicious activity or degrade device performance.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends largely on the prevalence of Samsung Mobile Devices within their operational environment and the sensitivity of the data or services accessed via these devices. Since the vulnerability requires local access without privileges or user interaction, the primary risk is from insider threats or scenarios where devices are physically accessible to attackers. Exploitation could allow malicious actors to run unauthorized background processes, potentially leading to device instability, increased battery drain, or facilitating persistence of malware. This could disrupt business operations, especially in sectors relying heavily on mobile workforce or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies. Additionally, compromised devices could serve as footholds for lateral movement within corporate networks if connected. While the vulnerability does not directly expose confidential data, the integrity and availability impacts could indirectly affect operational continuity and trust in mobile device security. Organizations in regulated sectors (finance, healthcare, government) may face compliance risks if devices are compromised and used to circumvent security controls.

Given the absence of a published patch at this time, European organizations should implement specific mitigations beyond generic advice: 1) Enforce strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to mobile devices, including secure storage and device lock policies. 2) Deploy Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to monitor and restrict background application behavior and detect anomalous process execution. 3) Limit installation of untrusted or unnecessary applications that could exploit this vulnerability to gain background execution exemptions. 4) Educate users about the risks of leaving devices unattended or lending them to untrusted individuals. 5) Monitor device performance and battery usage for unusual patterns that may indicate exploitation. 6) Prepare for rapid deployment of the official Samsung SMR September 2025 Release 1 patch once available, and prioritize its installation across all affected devices. 7) Consider network segmentation and conditional access policies to reduce the impact of potentially compromised mobile devices on corporate networks.