CVE-2025-20996
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows local attackers with physical or remote access to a device to read data with Smart Switch privileges when the user interacts with the application. It affects non-Samsung devices running Smart Switch versions prior to 3.7.64.10. The attack requires user interaction to trigger the improper authorization flaw.
💻 Affected Systems
- Smart Switch
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could read sensitive data stored or processed by Smart Switch, potentially including backup files, device information, or other privileged data accessible to the application.
Likely Case
Local attackers could access application data or files that Smart Switch has permission to read, but full system compromise is unlikely due to the limited privilege scope.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and user awareness, the impact is limited to potential data leakage from the Smart Switch application itself.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and user interaction, which adds complexity. No public exploit code has been identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.7.64.10
Vendor Advisory: https://security.samsungmobile.com/serviceWeb.smsb?year=2025&month=06
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Smart Switch application. 2. Check for updates in settings or about section. 3. Update to version 3.7.64.10 or later. 4. Restart the application or device if prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable or remove Smart Switch
allUninstall Smart Switch from non-Samsung devices if not needed
Restrict local access
allImplement physical security controls and limit local user access to vulnerable devices
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Limit user interaction with Smart Switch application
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Smart Switch version in application settings or about sectionCheck Version:
No universal command - check via application GUI on respective platformVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 3.7.64.10 or higher in application settings📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file access patterns by Smart Switch process
- Multiple failed authorization attempts
Network Indicators:
- Local process communication anomalies
SIEM Query:
Process:SmartSwitch AND (EventID:4663 OR EventID:4656) AND AccessMask:0x1