CVE-2026-20971
Published: 09 January 2026
Summary
CVE-2026-20971 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Samsung Android. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 0.7th 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).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Directly mitigates the Use After Free vulnerability by requiring timely identification, reporting, and patching of the flaw in the PROCA driver via the Samsung SMR Jan-2026 Release 1 update.
Implements memory protection mechanisms such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention that directly counter exploitation of Use After Free errors in the PROCA driver.
Enables vulnerability scanning to identify systems affected by CVE-2026-20971 prior to exploitation by local attackers.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Local kernel UAF in PROCA driver directly enables arbitrary code execution for privilege escalation by low-privileged local attackers.
NVD Description
Use After Free in PROCA driver prior to SMR Jan-2026 Release 1 allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2026-20971 is a Use After Free vulnerability (CWE-416) in the PROCA driver on Samsung devices, affecting versions prior to the SMR Jan-2026 Release 1. The flaw occurs when memory is freed but subsequently accessed, potentially leading to corruption or exploitation. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts with low complexity for local exploitation.
Local attackers with low privileges can exploit this vulnerability to potentially execute arbitrary code. The attack requires local access to the device but no user interaction, making it feasible for malicious apps or compromised user accounts to trigger the Use After Free condition in the PROCA driver and gain elevated control.
Samsung's security advisory for January 2026, available at https://security.samsungmobile.com/securityUpdate.smsb?year=2026&month=01, addresses the issue in the SMR Jan-2026 Release 1, recommending users apply the update to mitigate the vulnerability.
Details
- CWE(s)