CVE-2025-49494 is a vulnerability identified in several Samsung Exynos processors, including Mobile Processor, Wearable Processor, and Modem variants such as Exynos 2100, 1280, 2200, 1330, 1380, 1480, 9110, and Modem 5123. The root cause is the mishandling of 5G NRMM (New Radio Mobility Management) packets, which are part of the 5G network protocol stack responsible for managing mobility and connection states. Improper processing of these packets can lead to resource exhaustion or system instability, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability can be triggered remotely over the network without requiring any privileges or user interaction, making it highly accessible to attackers. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.5 (high), reflecting the network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed, with impact limited to availability. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-400, indicating a resource exhaustion or DoS issue. No patches or exploit code are currently available, but the affected processors are embedded in a wide range of Samsung devices, including smartphones and wearables, which are prevalent globally. The flaw could be exploited by sending specially crafted 5G NRMM packets to vulnerable devices, causing them to crash or become unresponsive, disrupting communications and services dependent on these devices.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-49494 can be significant, especially those relying heavily on Samsung mobile devices and wearables for business operations, communications, or critical infrastructure monitoring. A successful DoS attack could disrupt employee communications, delay critical alerts, and degrade operational efficiency. Telecommunications providers using affected modems might experience network instability or customer service interruptions. The vulnerability could also affect IoT deployments and wearable health devices used in healthcare, potentially impacting patient monitoring and safety. Although the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, the loss of availability can have cascading effects on business continuity and emergency response. Given the remote exploitability and lack of required authentication, attackers could launch widespread DoS campaigns targeting vulnerable devices across European networks, amplifying the risk to enterprises and consumers alike.

Organizations should immediately inventory their device fleets to identify Samsung devices using the affected Exynos processors. Network administrators should implement filtering or monitoring of unusual 5G NRMM packet traffic to detect and block potential exploit attempts. Deploying network segmentation and isolating critical systems from direct 5G exposure can reduce attack surfaces. Users should be advised to update device firmware and operating systems promptly once Samsung releases patches addressing this vulnerability. Until patches are available, consider restricting device connectivity to trusted 5G networks or fallback to LTE where feasible. Security teams should collaborate with mobile carriers to monitor for anomalous 5G signaling traffic indicative of exploitation attempts. Additionally, incident response plans should be updated to include scenarios involving mobile device DoS to ensure rapid recovery. Continuous threat intelligence monitoring is essential to detect emerging exploits or proof-of-concept code.