Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability in Samsung's Image Codec Library
CVE-2025-21042

8.8HIGH

Key Information:

Vendor: Samsung
Status: Samsung Devices
Vendor: CVE Published:; 12 September 2025

Badges

🥇 Trended No. 1📈 Trended📈 Score: 5,420💰 Ransomware👾 Exploit Exists🦅 CISA Reported📰 News Worthy

What is CVE-2025-21042?

CVE-2025-21042 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability located in Samsung's Image Codec Library (libimagecodec.quram.so), relevant to versions released prior to the April 2025 SMR (Security Maintenance Release). This vulnerability allows for the potential execution of arbitrary code by remote attackers, which raises significant security concerns for organizations using affected Samsung software and devices. As the Image Codec Library is often integrated into various applications for processing image data, any compromise could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information or control over software environments. Organizations that rely on this technology may face severe operational disruptions, data integrity issues, and increased costs associated with incident response and remediation efforts.

Potential impact of CVE-2025-21042

Remote Code Execution: The most critical impact of CVE-2025-21042 is the potential for remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This can allow attackers to take full control of devices or applications utilizing the vulnerable library, leading to serious security breaches.
Data Compromise: Exploiting this vulnerability can enable attackers to access sensitive data stored within the affected systems, resulting in data breaches that may expose personal, financial, or proprietary information. This can have severe implications for compliance with regulatory frameworks and organizational reputation.
Operational Disruption: Organizations may experience significant operational disruptions if attackers exploit this vulnerability. The ensuing chaos might require extensive incident response measures, including system downtime, resource allocation for recovery, and potentially, the need to redeploy affected systems or software. This can lead to financial losses and loss of customer trust.

CISA has reported CVE-2025-21042

CISA provides regional cyber and physical services to support security and resilience across the United States. CISA monitor the most dangerious vulnerabilities and have identifed CVE-2025-21042 as being exploited but is not known by the CISA to be used in ransomware campaigns. This is subject to change at pace as recent news articles suggest the vulnerability is being used by ransomware groups.

The CISA's recommendation is: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Affected Version(s)

Samsung Mobile Devices SMR Apr-2025 Release in Android 13, 14, 15

News Articles

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