CVE-2025-20888
Published: 04 February 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-20888 is a high-severity Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) vulnerability in Samsung Android. Its CVSS base score is 7.0 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 29.2th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-16 (Memory Protection) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2025-20888 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the handling of block size for smp4vtd within libsthmbc.so, affecting versions prior to the SMR Jan-2025 Release 1. This flaw, classified under CWE-787, enables local attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.0 (AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H), indicating high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts under specific local access conditions.
A local attacker can exploit this vulnerability by triggering the out-of-bounds write, requiring user interaction and high attack complexity but no prior privileges. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges on the affected system.
Samsung's security advisory for the January 2025 updates, available at https://security.samsungmobile.com/securityUpdate.smsb?year=2025&month=01, addresses this issue through the SMR Jan-2025 Release 1 patch, recommending users apply the update to mitigate the vulnerability.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-2201
Vulnerability details
Out-of-bounds write in handling the block size for smp4vtd in libsthmbc.so prior to SMR Jan-2025 Release 1 allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code with privilege. User interaction is required for triggering this vulnerability.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Out-of-bounds write enables local arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges via direct exploitation of the vulnerable library component.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly mandates identification, reporting, and correction of flaws like this out-of-bounds write via timely patching, as recommended in Samsung's SMR Jan-2025 Release 1 advisory.
Implements memory safeguards such as DEP and ASLR to protect against arbitrary code execution resulting from the out-of-bounds write vulnerability.
Requires validation of block size inputs to the smp4vtd handler in libsthmbc.so, preventing out-of-bounds writes from malformed or oversized values.