CVE-2025-20997
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows local attackers to reset certain configuration settings on Galaxy Watch devices due to incorrect default permissions. It affects Galaxy Watch devices running software versions prior to the July 2025 security maintenance release. The attack requires physical access or local execution on the device.
💻 Affected Systems
- Samsung Galaxy Watch
📦 What is this software?
Wear Os by Samsung
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with physical access could reset critical device configurations, potentially disabling security features, erasing user preferences, or causing service disruption.
Likely Case
Malicious local users or malware could reset non-critical settings like display preferences, notification settings, or connectivity options, causing inconvenience and requiring reconfiguration.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and updated software, the impact is limited to authorized users only making legitimate configuration changes.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to the device. No authentication bypass is mentioned, suggesting the attacker needs some level of access to the device interface.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: SMR Jul-2025 Release 1 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://security.samsungmobile.com/securityUpdate.smsb?year=2025&month=07
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Galaxy Wearable app on paired phone. 2. Go to Watch settings > Watch software update. 3. Download and install available updates. 4. Restart watch after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict physical access
allLimit who can physically access Galaxy Watch devices to prevent local exploitation.
Enable screen lock
allUse PIN, pattern, or biometric lock to prevent unauthorized access to watch interface.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict physical security controls for Galaxy Watch devices
- Monitor for unusual configuration changes and investigate any unauthorized resets
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check watch software version in Settings > About watch > Software information. If version is older than SMR Jul-2025 Release 1, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
Settings > About watch > Software information > Software versionVerify Fix Applied:
After update, verify software version shows SMR Jul-2025 Release 1 or later in Settings > About watch > Software information.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected configuration reset events
- Multiple configuration changes in short time period
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local attack
SIEM Query:
Watch for configuration reset events outside normal maintenance windows