CVE-2021-25394: Samsung Mobile Devices Race Condition Vulnerability

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2021-25394 is a medium (CVSS 6.4) Use After Free vulnerability in Samsung Mobile Devices. It is known to be exploited: CISA lists it, first on 29-06-2023. EPSS estimates a 0.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 32.9% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 11-06-2021
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 29-06-2023
   Added to CISA KEVSamsung Mobile Devices Race Condition Vulnerability
3. 20-07-2023
   CISA remediation dueApply updates per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if updates are unavailable
4. 21-10-2025
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

A use after free vulnerability via race condition in MFC charger driver prior to SMR MAY-2021 Release 1 allows arbitrary write given a radio privilege is compromised.

• CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
• CWE-362Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')The product contains a concurrent code sequence that requires temporary, exclusive access to a shared resource, but a timing window exists in which the shared resource can be modified by another code sequence operating concurrently.