CVE-2025-21074 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability classified under CWE-125 found in the libimagecodec.quram.so library component of Samsung Mobile devices. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to the November 2025 Security Maintenance Release (SMR). The flaw allows remote attackers to cause the device to read memory beyond the allocated buffer boundaries when processing specially crafted image data. This can lead to unauthorized disclosure of memory contents, potentially exposing sensitive information such as cryptographic keys, user data, or other confidential information stored in memory. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without requiring any privileges but does require user interaction, such as opening a malicious image file or receiving a crafted image via messaging or web content. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3, reflecting low complexity of attack but limited impact confined to confidentiality. There is no impact on integrity or availability, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. Samsung has reserved the CVE and is expected to release patches in their November 2025 SMR update. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Samsung Mobile devices that utilize the vulnerable image codec library, though exact affected versions are not specified. The root cause is improper bounds checking during image decoding, a common issue in multimedia processing components.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-21074 is the potential leakage of sensitive information from affected Samsung Mobile devices. This could include corporate data accessed or stored on mobile devices, credentials, or cryptographic material if an attacker successfully tricks a user into opening a malicious image. While the vulnerability does not allow code execution or denial of service, the confidentiality breach could facilitate further targeted attacks or espionage. Organizations with employees using Samsung devices for work, especially in sectors like finance, government, or critical infrastructure, may face increased risk. The requirement for user interaction limits mass exploitation but targeted spear-phishing or social engineering attacks could leverage this vulnerability. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat once patches are released and attackers analyze the vulnerability. The impact on mobile device security posture and trustworthiness is notable, especially in environments with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies.

Organizations should prioritize applying the November 2025 Samsung Security Maintenance Release (SMR) patches as soon as they become available to remediate this vulnerability. Until patches are deployed, users should be advised to avoid opening unsolicited or suspicious image files, especially from untrusted sources such as unknown messaging contacts, emails, or websites. Mobile device management (MDM) solutions can be used to enforce security policies restricting the installation of unverified applications and controlling file downloads. Network-level protections such as filtering and scanning of image files in email gateways and web proxies can reduce exposure. Security awareness training should emphasize the risks of interacting with unexpected multimedia content. Additionally, organizations should monitor for unusual device behavior or data leaks that could indicate exploitation attempts. For high-risk environments, consider isolating or limiting sensitive operations on devices known to be vulnerable until patched.