CVE-2025-21033 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Samsung Mobile Devices, specifically involving improper access control in the ContactProvider component prior to the SMR (Security Maintenance Release) September 2025 Release 1. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which refers to improper access control mechanisms that fail to adequately restrict access to sensitive resources. In this case, local attackers—meaning those with physical or local access to the device—can exploit this flaw to access sensitive information stored within the ContactProvider. The ContactProvider is a system component responsible for managing contact data on Samsung mobile devices, and improper access control here could allow unauthorized reading of contact information or related sensitive data. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.0, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N) reveals that the attack requires local access (AV:L), has low attack complexity (AC:L), does not require privileges (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality only (C:L), without affecting integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or updates are linked yet, suggesting that remediation may be forthcoming or in progress. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, which increases the risk if an attacker gains local access to the device. However, remote exploitation is not possible, limiting the attack surface to physical or local access scenarios.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-21033 depends largely on the use of Samsung mobile devices within their workforce and the sensitivity of contact information stored on these devices. Unauthorized local access to contact data could lead to privacy breaches, exposure of personal or business contacts, and potential social engineering or targeted phishing attacks leveraging the compromised contact information. This could be particularly damaging for organizations handling sensitive client or partner data, or those subject to strict data protection regulations such as GDPR. While the vulnerability does not allow remote exploitation, the risk remains significant in environments where devices might be lost, stolen, or accessed by unauthorized personnel. The confidentiality breach could undermine trust and lead to regulatory penalties if personal data is exposed. The lack of impact on integrity and availability means the core functionality of devices remains intact, but the leakage of sensitive contact information alone can have serious reputational and operational consequences.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should implement strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to Samsung mobile devices, including enforcing device lock policies with strong authentication methods (PIN, biometric). Device encryption should be enabled to protect stored data. Organizations should monitor for and promptly apply Samsung’s SMR updates, especially the September 2025 Release 1 or later, which is expected to address this vulnerability. Until patches are available, consider restricting the use of vulnerable Samsung devices for handling sensitive contact information or isolating such data in secure applications with additional access controls. Employee training on device security and incident reporting for lost or stolen devices is critical. Additionally, organizations could deploy Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies, remotely wipe compromised devices, and audit access to sensitive data. Regular audits of device security posture and contact data access logs can help detect potential exploitation attempts.