CVE-2025-52517 identifies a race condition vulnerability in the issimian device driver component of Samsung's Exynos processors used in mobile and wearable devices, specifically models 1330, 1380, 1480, 2400, 1580, and 2500. The issimian driver handles camera functions, and the race condition leads to a double free memory error. A double free occurs when the same memory is deallocated twice, which can corrupt memory management data structures, causing program crashes or unpredictable behavior. This vulnerability results in a denial of service (DoS) condition by crashing the affected device or causing instability in the camera subsystem. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.1 (medium severity), with the vector indicating local attack vector (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and impact limited to availability (A:H) without affecting confidentiality or integrity. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-362 (Race Condition). No patches or known exploits are currently documented, but the risk remains for local attackers who can execute code on the device. The race condition likely arises from improper synchronization in the driver code when handling concurrent camera operations, leading to the double free. This flaw can be exploited by malicious apps or processes with local access to cause device crashes or denial of camera functionality, impacting user experience and device reliability.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-52517 is operational disruption due to denial of service on devices using affected Samsung Exynos processors. This can affect mobile workforce productivity, especially in sectors relying on mobile communications and wearable technology such as healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing. While the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, the loss of availability can interrupt critical workflows and services. Enterprises deploying Samsung-based devices in secure environments may face challenges maintaining device uptime and reliability. Additionally, consumer-facing services relying on mobile apps with camera functionality could experience degraded user experience or service outages. The lack of remote exploitability limits the threat to local attackers or malicious insiders, but the high prevalence of Samsung devices in Europe increases exposure. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but organizations should prepare for potential future attacks once exploit code becomes available.

Organizations should monitor Samsung security advisories closely and apply firmware or driver updates as soon as patches addressing CVE-2025-52517 are released. Until patches are available, restrict installation and execution of untrusted local applications on devices with affected Exynos processors to reduce the risk of local exploitation. Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce application whitelisting and limit permissions that could trigger the vulnerable driver code. Conduct regular device health monitoring to detect abnormal crashes or camera subsystem failures indicative of exploitation attempts. For high-security environments, consider isolating or restricting use of affected devices until remediation is complete. Engage with Samsung support channels to obtain guidance on interim mitigations or firmware updates. Additionally, educate users about the risks of installing unverified apps that could exploit local vulnerabilities. Finally, implement layered security controls such as endpoint detection and response (EDR) to identify suspicious local activity targeting device drivers.