Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-36481

Memory Safety in Samsung Exynos 9810 Firmware

Published
28 August 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0052 42th percentile
Risk Priority 58 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-36481 is a high-severity Classic Buffer Overflow (CWE-120) vulnerability in Samsung Exynos 9810 Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 42th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

An issue was discovered in Samsung Exynos Mobile Processor and Wearable Processor 9810, 9610, 9820, 980, 850, 1080, 2100, 2200, 1280, 1380, 1330, 9110, and W920. Improper handling of PPP length parameter inconsistency can cause an infinite loop.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
T1212 Exploitation for Credential Access Credential Access
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to collect credentials.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-41112Same product: Samsung Exynos 1080
CVE-2024-45184Same product: Samsung Exynos 1080
CVE-2023-26075Same product: Samsung Exynos 1080
CVE-2025-52909Same product: Samsung Exynos 1280
CVE-2025-52908Same product: Samsung Exynos 1280
CVE-2023-41111Same product: Samsung Exynos 1080
CVE-2023-26076Same product: Samsung Exynos 1280
CVE-2025-53966Same product: Samsung Exynos 1380
CVE-2025-49495Same product: Samsung Exynos 1380
CVE-2023-43122Same product: Samsung Exynos 1080

Affected Assets

samsung
exynos 9810 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 9610 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 9820 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 980 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 850 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 1080 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 2100 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 2200 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 1280 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 1380 firmware
all versions
+3 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V5.2.1

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.

addresses: CWE-120

Platform-independent managed code eliminates the need for unchecked native buffer copies that are the root cause of classic buffer overflows.

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.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure development practices directly enforce bounds checking and input validation that prevent classic buffer overflows.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Vulnerability identification processes such as code review or scanning detect classic buffer overflows before exploitation.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Routine patching replaces vulnerable code containing unchecked buffer copies with corrected versions.

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.

prevents

Secure coding directly requires bounds-checked memory operations, addressing the root cause of CWE-120.

finds

Security testing in development and acceptance can detect buffer overflows through fuzzing and static analysis, though it does not prevent them at the source.

prevents

Secure development life cycle mandates processes that can include input validation and bounds checking to prevent buffer overflows.

prevents

Application security requirements can specify input-size validation and safe buffer handling to mitigate classic buffer overflows.

prevents

Secure system architecture and engineering principles promote defensive coding patterns that reduce the likelihood of unchecked buffer copies.

References