CVE-2025-21044 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) affecting Samsung Mobile devices' fingerprint trustlet component. This flaw exists in devices running firmware versions prior to Samsung's Security Maintenance Release (SMR) October 2025 Release 1. The fingerprint trustlet is a trusted execution environment (TEE) component responsible for processing fingerprint data securely. The vulnerability allows a local attacker with high privileges to perform out-of-bounds memory writes, which can corrupt memory regions adjacent to the intended buffer. Such memory corruption can lead to unauthorized disclosure or modification of sensitive data, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of the device’s secure operations. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.7, with vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N, indicating that exploitation requires local access with high privileges and no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality and integrity severely but not availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, suggesting limited active exploitation at this time. The vulnerability’s root cause is improper bounds checking in the fingerprint trustlet code, a critical component for biometric authentication security. Samsung Mobile devices are widely used globally, including across Europe, making this vulnerability relevant to many users. The absence of patch links indicates that the fix is expected in or after the SMR Oct-2025 Release 1. Organizations relying on Samsung Mobile devices for secure authentication should prioritize updating firmware once patches are available and restrict privileged local access to mitigate exploitation risk.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-21044 lies in the potential compromise of biometric authentication security on Samsung Mobile devices. Successful exploitation could allow a local privileged attacker to manipulate fingerprint trustlet memory, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive biometric data or alteration of authentication processes. This undermines device integrity and confidentiality, potentially enabling further privilege escalation or bypass of security controls. Sectors relying heavily on mobile device security, such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure, could face increased risk of insider threats or targeted attacks leveraging this vulnerability. Although exploitation requires local privileged access, insider threats or malware with elevated privileges could exploit this flaw to escalate control or exfiltrate sensitive information. The lack of availability impact reduces the risk of denial-of-service conditions, but the confidentiality and integrity risks remain significant. European organizations must consider this vulnerability in their mobile device management and endpoint security strategies, especially where Samsung devices are prevalent and used for secure authentication.

1. Monitor Samsung’s official security advisories and apply the SMR Oct-2025 Release 1 or later firmware updates promptly once available to remediate the vulnerability. 2. Implement strict access controls to limit local privileged access on Samsung Mobile devices, reducing the attack surface for local exploitation. 3. Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies, including restricting installation of unauthorized applications that could gain elevated privileges. 4. Conduct regular audits of device privilege levels and monitor for suspicious local activity indicative of privilege escalation attempts. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of granting unnecessary local privileges and the importance of applying security updates. 6. Where possible, isolate sensitive biometric authentication processes and consider multi-factor authentication to reduce reliance on a single biometric factor. 7. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of detecting anomalous local privilege escalation behaviors on mobile devices. 8. Coordinate with Samsung support channels for early access to patches or mitigation guidance if devices are critical to organizational operations.