VulnerabilityPublished 3 Sep 2025

CVE-2025-21041: Samsung Mobile Secure Folder · Insecure Storage of Sensitive Information

Affects Samsung Mobile Secure FolderSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.2 Medium : upgrade to 16 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.2Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 2% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 16

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 3 Sep 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade Samsung Mobile Secure Folder to 16.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Samsung Mobile Secure Folder	Affected <16	Fixed in 16

AI-suggested

European organizations should implement several targeted mitigations beyond generic advice: 1) Enforce strict physical security policies for mobile devices, including mandatory use of strong device-level authentication (PIN, biometrics) and remote wipe capabilities to mitigate risks from lost or stolen devices. 2) Limit the use of Samsung Secure Folder for storing highly sensitive corporate data until a patch is available. 3) Monitor device usage and access logs for signs of unauthorized local access or tampering. 4) Educate employees on the risks of local device access and encourage immediate reporting of lost or stolen devices. 5) Deploy Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions that can enforce encryption policies, restrict Secure Folder usage, and remotely manage device security settings. 6) Stay alert for official Samsung patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and prioritize their deployment. 7) Consider alternative secure storage solutions with verified security controls for critical data until the vulnerability is resolved. 8) For high-risk roles, consider additional endpoint security controls or device hardening to reduce the attack surface.

Description

Insecure Storage of Sensitive Information in Secure Folder prior to Android 16 allows local attackers to access sensitive information.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to data confidentiality, particularly for employees using Samsung devices with Secure Folder to store sensitive corporate or personal information. The ability of a local attacker to access sensitive data without authentication could lead to data breaches involving personal identifiable information (PII), intellectual property, or confidential business data. This is especially critical for sectors with strict data protection regulations such as GDPR, where unauthorized data disclosure can result in severe legal and financial penalties. The vulnerability could also undermine trust in mobile device security, impacting mobile workforce productivity and security posture. Since the attack requires local access, the risk is heightened in scenarios involving device theft, loss, or insider threats. The lack of impact on integrity and availability means the threat is primarily data leakage rather than system disruption. However, the exposure of sensitive credentials or information could facilitate further attacks or unauthorized access to corporate networks.

CWE-922Insecure Storage of Sensitive Information (opens in a new tab)
Class weaknessOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product stores sensitive information without properly limiting read or write access by unauthorized actors.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.1.6 (opens in a new tab)
V8.2.3 (opens in a new tab)
V8.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

security.samsungmobile.com/serviceWeb.smsb?year=2025&month=09 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Sep 2025, 06:32 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-922

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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