CVE-2023-21443
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Samsung Flow for Android allows attackers on the same network to decrypt encrypted messages or inject malicious commands due to improper cryptographic implementation. It affects Samsung Flow users on Android devices with versions prior to 4.9.04.
💻 Affected Systems
- Samsung Flow
📦 What is this software?
Flow by Samsung
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could intercept and decrypt sensitive communications, inject malicious commands to compromise devices, or gain unauthorized access to connected systems.
Likely Case
Attackers on the same network could decrypt Samsung Flow communications between devices, potentially accessing sensitive data being synchronized.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and updated software, risk is limited to isolated network segments with attacker presence.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires adjacent network access and knowledge of the cryptographic weakness.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.9.04 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://security.samsungmobile.com/serviceWeb.smsb?year=2023&month=02
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Open Google Play Store on Android device. 2. Search for 'Samsung Flow'. 3. Update to version 4.9.04 or later. 4. Ensure auto-updates are enabled for future patches.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Samsung Flow
androidTemporarily disable Samsung Flow until patched
Go to Settings > Apps > Samsung Flow > Disable
Network Segmentation
allIsolate devices using Samsung Flow on separate network segments
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Samsung Flow completely on affected devices
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate vulnerable devices from untrusted networks
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Samsung Flow version in app settings or Google Play Store - if version is below 4.9.04, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
Open Samsung Flow > Settings > About or check in Google Play StoreVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Samsung Flow version is 4.9.04 or higher in app settings.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual network traffic patterns from Samsung Flow
- Failed decryption attempts
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic on Samsung Flow ports (typically 15000-15010)
- Suspicious adjacent network scanning
SIEM Query:
source="network_traffic" AND (app_name="Samsung Flow" AND version<"4.9.04") OR (port_range="15000-15010" AND suspicious_activity)