CVE-2026-20975 is a vulnerability identified in Samsung Cloud, a cloud storage service integrated with Samsung Mobile devices, affecting versions prior to 5.6.11. The root cause is improper handling of insufficient permissions (CWE-280), which allows local attackers to bypass intended access controls and read specific files located at arbitrary paths. This vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, but exploitation is limited to attackers with local access to the device. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 2.1, reflecting a low-severity issue primarily impacting confidentiality with no direct effect on integrity or availability. The vulnerability arises because the software fails to correctly verify whether the requesting process has the necessary privileges before granting access to certain files. While no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the flaw could be leveraged by malicious local users or malware that gains local execution capabilities to access sensitive files stored or cached by Samsung Cloud. The scope is limited to affected Samsung Cloud versions on mobile devices, and the attack vector is local, requiring physical or logical access to the device. Samsung has addressed this issue in version 5.6.11, and users are advised to update to this or later versions to mitigate the risk.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2026-20975 is primarily related to confidentiality breaches of files accessible via Samsung Cloud on mobile devices. Although the vulnerability requires local access, it could be exploited by insiders or malware that has already compromised a device, potentially exposing sensitive corporate or personal data. This could lead to privacy violations, intellectual property leakage, or compliance issues under regulations such as GDPR. The limited severity and local attack vector reduce the risk of widespread impact; however, organizations with a high number of Samsung mobile users or those relying on Samsung Cloud for sensitive data storage should be cautious. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, so operational disruption is unlikely. Nevertheless, unauthorized file access could undermine trust in mobile device security and cloud data protection, especially in sectors handling sensitive information such as finance, healthcare, or government.

To mitigate CVE-2026-20975, European organizations should ensure all Samsung mobile devices are updated to Samsung Cloud version 5.6.11 or later, where the vulnerability is patched. Device management policies should restrict local access to trusted personnel only and enforce strong endpoint security controls to prevent unauthorized local code execution. Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to monitor and control app versions and permissions. Additionally, organizations should educate users about the risks of installing untrusted applications that could gain local access and exploit such vulnerabilities. Regular audits of device configurations and Samsung Cloud usage can help detect anomalous file access patterns. Where possible, sensitive data should be encrypted at rest and in transit within Samsung Cloud to reduce exposure from unauthorized local access. Finally, consider alternative secure cloud storage solutions if Samsung Cloud usage cannot be adequately controlled or updated promptly.