CVE-2025-54332 is a vulnerability identified in the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) component of the Samsung Exynos 1380 mobile processor. The flaw is a NULL pointer dereference occurring in the npu_vertex_profileoff function, specifically involving the profiler.node pointer. When this pointer is NULL and dereferenced, it causes the NPU subsystem to crash, leading to a denial of service (DoS) condition. The NPU is responsible for accelerating AI and machine learning tasks on the device, so its failure can degrade device performance or cause system instability. The vulnerability can be triggered remotely without requiring any privileges or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). The impact is limited to availability, with no direct confidentiality or integrity compromise. The CVSS score of 7.5 reflects the high severity due to the ease of exploitation and significant impact on device availability. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability affects all devices using the Exynos 1380 chip through July 2025. The underlying weakness is classified under CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference), a common software flaw that leads to crashes or unexpected behavior. Given the widespread use of Samsung mobile devices in Europe, this vulnerability poses a risk to mobile users and organizations relying on these devices for critical communications and operations.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-54332 is on the availability of mobile devices powered by the Exynos 1380 processor. A successful exploitation can cause the NPU to crash, potentially leading to device instability, application failures, or complete system reboots. This can disrupt business operations, especially for organizations relying on mobile AI capabilities or mobile communications for fieldwork, remote access, or customer interactions. Although the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or allow unauthorized code execution, the denial of service can degrade user productivity and trust in mobile infrastructure. In sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, where mobile device reliability is crucial, this vulnerability could lead to operational disruptions. Additionally, the lack of authentication or user interaction requirements increases the risk of automated attacks targeting vulnerable devices. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but organizations should remain vigilant given the high severity rating.

1. Monitor Samsung's official security advisories and firmware update channels closely for patches addressing CVE-2025-54332 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Implement network-level protections to restrict access to devices running the Exynos 1380 processor, such as using mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies and limit exposure to untrusted networks. 3. Disable or limit the use of AI acceleration features reliant on the NPU where feasible until patches are applied, to reduce the attack surface. 4. Educate users about the importance of installing updates and avoiding suspicious network connections that could trigger the vulnerability. 5. Employ anomaly detection systems to monitor for unusual device crashes or reboots that may indicate exploitation attempts. 6. Coordinate with mobile service providers to identify and mitigate potential large-scale exploitation campaigns targeting vulnerable devices. 7. For organizations with critical mobile deployments, consider temporary device replacement or segmentation strategies to isolate vulnerable devices from sensitive networks.