Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-23098

Memory Safety in Samsung Exynos 980 Firmware

Published
03 June 2025
Modified
17 June 2026
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0014 4th percentile
Risk Priority 55 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-23098 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Samsung Exynos 980 Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, ranked at the 4th 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 SC-39 (Process Isolation) and SI-16 (Memory Protection) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

An issue was discovered in Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos 980, 990, 1080, 2100, 1280, 2200, 1380. A Use-After-Free in the mobile processor leads to privilege escalation.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-32502Same product: Samsung Exynos 1080
CVE-2025-52910Same product: Samsung Exynos 1280
CVE-2024-44068Same product: Samsung Exynos 980
CVE-2025-23101Same product: Samsung Exynos 1380
CVE-2025-23104Same product: Samsung Exynos 2200
CVE-2023-42482Same product: Samsung Exynos 2200
CVE-2024-32503Same product: Samsung Exynos 1080
CVE-2025-23106Same product: Samsung Exynos 2200
CVE-2023-21459Same product: Samsung Exynos 2100
CVE-2024-31960Same vendor: Samsung

Affected Assets

samsung
exynos 980 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 990 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 1080 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 2100 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 1280 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 2200 firmware
all versions
samsung
exynos 1380 firmware
all versions

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

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

prevent

Directly requires memory-protection mechanisms (e.g., pointer authentication, memory tagging) that block use-after-free exploitation in the Exynos kernel.

prevent

Mandates separate execution domains for processes, limiting the ability of a UAF flaw in the mobile processor to escalate privileges across domains.

prevent

Enforces least privilege so that even a successful kernel UAF yields only minimal additional rights on the Exynos platform.

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

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

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

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

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

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.

detects

Security testing in development can detect use-after-free bugs before release.

prevents

Secure SDLC mandates memory-safety practices that reduce use-after-free defects.

prevents

Application security requirements can specify memory-management rules that mitigate use-after-free.

prevents

Secure architecture principles include memory-safety design choices that limit use-after-free exposure.

prevents

Secure coding standards directly prescribe avoidance of use-after-free patterns.

prevents

Change-management processes help ensure memory-safety fixes are deployed consistently.

References