Security Resilience

CVE-2021-25370

Memory Safety in Samsung Android 10.0 … 9.0

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedMemory Safety
Published
26 March 2021
Modified
14 January 2026
KEV Added
08 November 2022
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 6.1
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0089 58th percentile
Risk Priority 75 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2021-25370 is a medium-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Samsung Android. Its CVSS base score is 6.1 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique OS Credential Dumping (T1003); ranked in the top 42% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

The vulnerability CVE-2021-25370 stems from an incorrect implementation of file descriptor handling in the DPU driver, which produces memory corruption and a subsequent kernel panic. It affects Samsung devices running versions prior to the SMR Mar-2021 Release 1. The flaw is tracked under CWE-416 and CWE-703 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 6.1.

Exploitation requires physical access to a device, high attack complexity, and high privileges; successful attacks can produce high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, although the immediate technical outcome described is a kernel panic that crashes the system.

Samsung security bulletins for the March 2021 maintenance release contain the corresponding patches and device-specific remediation guidance. The CVE is also catalogued by CISA among known exploited vulnerabilities, confirming observed in-the-wild activity.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A10:2025 Mishandling of Exceptional Conditions

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

An incorrect implementation handling file descriptor in dpu driver prior to SMR Mar-2021 Release 1 results in memory corruption leading to kernel panic.

CWE(s)
CWE-416CWE-703
KEV Date Added
08 November 2022

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1003 OS Credential Dumping Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to dump credentials to obtain account login and credential material, normally in the form of a hash or a clear text password.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.004 LSA Secrets Credential Access
Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1007 System Service Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may try to gather information about registered local system services.
attack.mitre.org →
T1008 Fallback Channels Command And Control
Adversaries may use fallback or alternate communication channels if the primary channel is compromised or inaccessible in order to maintain reliable command and control and to avoid data transfer thresholds.
attack.mitre.org →
T1011 Exfiltration Over Other Network Medium Exfiltration
Adversaries may attempt to exfiltrate data over a different network medium than the command and control channel.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2021-25394Same product: Samsung Androidboth on KEV
CVE-2026-20971Same product: Samsung Android
CVE-2024-20861Same product: Samsung Android
CVE-2024-20833Same product: Samsung Android
CVE-2026-20968Same product: Samsung Android
CVE-2023-21459Same product: Samsung Android
CVE-2024-44068Same vendor: Samsung
CVE-2025-0634Same vendor: Samsung
CVE-2024-31960Same vendor: Samsung
CVE-2025-23104Same vendor: Samsung

Affected Assets

samsung
android
10.0, 11.0, 8.0, 8.1, 9.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 3 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.4.3

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

AU-5 Response to Audit Logging Process Failures
addresses: CWE-703

Implements explicit check and handling for the exceptional condition of audit logging process failure.

CA-7 Continuous Monitoring
addresses: CWE-703

Establishing and monitoring system metrics with correlation and response actions helps identify and address improper handling of exceptional conditions.

CP-12 Safe Mode
addresses: CWE-703

Provides a defined response to detected conditions by restricting operation, ensuring exceptional conditions are handled rather than ignored or mishandled.

CP-3 Contingency Training
addresses: CWE-703

Contingency training equips users with defined procedures to check and respond to exceptional conditions during disruptions, reducing exploitation of mishandled errors.

CP-4 Contingency Plan Testing
addresses: CWE-703

Testing verifies the system's ability to detect, handle, and recover from exceptional conditions as part of the plan, reducing exploitability of improper exception handling.

CP-5 Contingency Plan Update
addresses: CWE-703

Regular updates keep contingency procedures aligned with system changes, providing structured handling for exceptional conditions that would otherwise allow unmitigated exploitation.

IR-1 Policy and Procedures
addresses: CWE-703

Policy defines checks and handling for exceptional conditions arising from security incidents.

IR-3 Incident Response Testing
addresses: CWE-703

Performing IR tests ensures exceptional conditions are properly checked and handled to enable effective response.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

ID.RA-01 partial match
blocks

Vulnerability identification processes can discover use-after-free issues via scanning or analysis but do not prevent their introduction.

PR.PS-02 partial match
blocks

Routine patching removes known use-after-free instances after they have been introduced in released software.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure SDLC practices directly incorporate memory-safety tooling and reviews that prevent most use-after-free defects.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.5.30 ICT readiness for business continuity partial match
removes

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
  • V-248592 OL 8 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. blocks CWE-416
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
  • V-230279 RHEL 8 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. blocks CWE-416
RHEL 9 (1 rule)
  • V-257794 RHEL 9 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. blocks CWE-416

References