Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-20931

Memory Safety in Samsung Notes ≤ 4.4.26.71

Published
06 March 2025
Modified
16 July 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.3
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L
EPSS Score 0.0017 7th percentile
Risk Priority 52 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-20931 is a high-severity Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) vulnerability in Samsung Notes. Its CVSS base score is 7.3 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 7th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-15 (Development Process, Standards, and Tools) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

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

CVE-2025-20931 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CWE-787) in the BMP image parsing functionality of the Samsung Notes application, affecting versions prior to 4.4.26.71. Published on 2025-03-06, it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.3 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L), indicating high integrity impact with low confidentiality and availability effects.

Local attackers can exploit this vulnerability by supplying a maliciously crafted BMP image to Samsung Notes. With low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, exploitation enables arbitrary code execution on the local system.

Samsung's security advisory for March 2025, available at https://security.samsungmobile.com/serviceWeb.smsb?year=2025&month=03, addresses the vulnerability and mitigation through updates to Samsung Notes version 4.4.26.71 or later.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Out-of-bounds write in parsing bmp image in Samsung Notes prior to version 4.4.26.71 allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code.

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.
T1211 Exploitation for Stealth Stealth
Adversaries may exploit vulnerabilities to evade detection by hiding activity, suppressing logging, or operating within trusted or unmonitored components.
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-2025-20929Same product: Samsung Notes
CVE-2024-34622Same product: Samsung Notes
CVE-2024-34623Same product: Samsung Notes
CVE-2024-34657Same product: Samsung Notes
CVE-2024-34660Same product: Samsung Notes
CVE-2023-26497Same vendor: Samsung
CVE-2023-30669Same vendor: Samsung
CVE-2023-42557Same vendor: Samsung
CVE-2025-20937Same vendor: Samsung
CVE-2025-20943Same vendor: Samsung

Affected Assets

samsung
notes
≤ 4.4.26.71

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation (including fuzzing and bounds checks) finds out-of-bounds write flaws before deployment.

Requiring documented secure-development standards and tools can mandate bounds-checked coding practices that avoid the weakness.

Input validation can structurally reject or sanitize data that would otherwise trigger an out-of-bounds write.

Memory-protection mechanisms limit the exploitability and blast radius of a successful out-of-bounds write.

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 (static analysis, bounds checking, code review) are the primary means of preventing out-of-bounds writes.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Vulnerability scanning and recording can discover out-of-bounds write flaws so they can be remediated.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Patching or replacing vulnerable software directly eliminates known instances of this coding weakness.

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.

finds

Security testing in development and acceptance can detect and prevent out-of-bounds write defects.

prevents

Secure development life cycle mandates practices that prevent out-of-bounds writes.

prevents

Application security requirements can specify bounds-checking and safe memory handling.

prevents

Secure architecture and engineering principles reduce the likelihood of buffer overflows.

prevents

Secure coding directly addresses out-of-bounds writes through language choice and coding standards.

prevents

Change management can enforce review gates that catch unsafe memory operations before deployment.

References