CVE-2026-20975
📋 TL;DR
A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Samsung Cloud allows attackers with physical or local access to bypass permission checks and access arbitrary files on the device. This affects Samsung devices running Samsung Cloud versions prior to 5.6.11. The vulnerability requires local access to the device.
💻 Affected Systems
- Samsung Cloud
📦 What is this software?
Cloud by Samsung
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could access sensitive user data including photos, documents, authentication tokens, and other private files stored in arbitrary locations on the device.
Likely Case
Local attackers could access specific files they shouldn't have permission to view, potentially exposing personal data or configuration files.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and updated software, the vulnerability is eliminated and file access permissions are properly enforced.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to the device. No public exploit code is currently known.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.6.11
Vendor Advisory: https://security.samsungmobile.com/serviceWeb.smsb?year=2026&month=01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Samsung Cloud app on your device. 2. Check for updates in the app settings. 3. Update to version 5.6.11 or later. 4. Restart your device after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Samsung Cloud
androidTemporarily disable Samsung Cloud service to prevent exploitation
Settings > Apps > Samsung Cloud > Disable
Restrict physical access
allImplement physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Samsung Cloud service completely
- Implement strict physical access controls to devices
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Samsung Cloud version in device settings: Settings > Apps > Samsung Cloud > App infoCheck Version:
No command line option. Check via device settings: Settings > Apps > Samsung CloudVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Samsung Cloud version is 5.6.11 or higher in app settings📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized file access attempts in Samsung Cloud logs
- Permission denial errors followed by successful access
Network Indicators:
- Local process attempting to access restricted file paths
SIEM Query:
process_name:"Samsung Cloud" AND (file_access:"permission denied" OR file_access:"unauthorized")