Samsung Mobile DPU Driver File Descriptor Handling Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2021-25370)
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTSamsung mobile devices with DPU (Display Processing Unit) driver prior to SMR (Samsung Maintenance Release) Mar-2021 Release 1
A local attacker with high privileges can trigger improper file descriptor handling, leading to kernel memory corruption and system-wide kernel panic (DoS/LPE)
Immediately apply the official Samsung Android security update (SMR March 2021 Release 1 or later)
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Apply the official Samsung over-the-air (OTA) update by navigating to Settings -> Software update -> Download and install on the device.
For enterprise administrators, use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to verify the security patch level of connected devices:
# Check the current security patch level of the connected device
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch
# Verify the build ID to ensure it is updated past March 2021
adb shell getprop ro.build.display.id2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict physical and logical access to the device. Disable developer options and prevent sideloading of untrusted applications.
# Disable ADB debugging to reduce local attack surface
adb shell settings put global adb_enabled 0
# Verify that installation of apps from unknown sources is disabled
adb shell settings get global install_non_market_apps3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Audit kernel logs and crash dumps to detect potential exploitation attempts or kernel panics related to the DPU driver:
# Dump crash logs to inspect recent application or system crashes
adb logcat -b crash
# Inspect previous kernel panic logs in pstore for DPU-related errors (requires root)
adb shell 'su -c "cat /sys/fs/pstore/console-ramoops | grep -i -E \'dpu|panic|use-after-free\'"'Block Kernel Privilege Escalation & Ransomware Payloads Before You Can Reboot
Protect unpatched Windows, Linux, and macOS workloads against in-memory exploitation and lateral movement with autonomous EDR.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2021-25370) is a memory corruption issue arising from incorrect file descriptor handling within the Display Processing Unit (DPU) kernel driver of Samsung mobile devices. Due to improper validation of file object reference counts or state transitions, the driver suffers from a Use-After-Free (CWE-416) or improper exception handling (CWE-703) condition. This allows the kernel memory space to be corrupted, ultimately resulting in a system-wide kernel panic.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker who has already obtained elevated privileges (PR:H) on the local device can interact with the DPU driver via specific IOCTL system calls. By passing an invalid or closed file descriptor as an argument, the attacker triggers an abnormal file object release routine within the driver. Because the driver fails to properly validate the file descriptor before dereferencing it, kernel memory corruption occurs. This can be leveraged to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) via kernel panic or potentially achieve local privilege escalation (LPE). This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and is listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
A kernel panic on mobile endpoints disrupts device availability, causing unexpected reboots and potential data loss. In enterprise environments where mobile devices are used for critical business operations or MDM-controlled tasks, exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to operational downtime or serve as an entry point for deeper kernel-level compromise and data exfiltration.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
An incorrect implementation handling file descriptor in dpu driver prior to SMR Mar-2021 Release 1 results in memory corruption leading to kernel panic.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2021-25370)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2021-25370 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2021-25370 is rated CVSS 4.4 (MEDIUM) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 0.9%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2021-25370?
Primary impacted vendors include samsung across dpu driver, galaxy. Scope summary: Samsung mobile devices running software versions prior to SMR Mar-2021 Release 1 containing the vulnerable DPU driver
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2021-25370 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately apply the official Samsung Android security update (SMR March 2021 Release 1 or later) Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
Generate an Internal Engineering Notice or CISO Report for CVE-2021-25370
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