CVE-2026-20979
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows local attackers to launch arbitrary activities with Settings application privileges on Samsung devices. It affects Samsung mobile devices running versions prior to the February 2026 security maintenance release. Attackers must have local access to the device to exploit this flaw.
💻 Affected Systems
- Samsung mobile devices
📦 What is this software?
Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →Android by Samsung
Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system powering over 3 billion devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, automotive systems, wearables, and IoT devices. As the world's dominant mobile OS with approximately 72% global market share, Android serves as the foundation...
Learn more about Android →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could execute arbitrary code with Settings privileges, potentially accessing sensitive device settings, modifying system configurations, or escalating privileges further.
Likely Case
Local attackers could modify device settings without proper authorization, potentially disabling security features or accessing restricted configuration options.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and device management, impact would be limited to unauthorized settings changes within the Settings application scope.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to device. No public exploit details available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: SMR Feb-2026 Release 1
Vendor Advisory: https://security.samsungmobile.com/securityUpdate.smsb?year=2026&month=02
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for system updates in Settings > Software update. 2. Download and install February 2026 security maintenance release. 3. Restart device after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict physical device access
allLimit physical access to devices to authorized users only
Enable device encryption
allEnsure device encryption is enabled to protect against unauthorized access
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict physical security controls for device access
- Use mobile device management (MDM) solutions to monitor for unauthorized settings changes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device security patch level in Settings > About phone > Software information. If patch level is earlier than February 2026, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
Settings > About phone > Software information > Android security patch levelVerify Fix Applied:
Verify security patch level shows 'February 1, 2026' or later in Settings > About phone > Software information.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized Settings application activities
- Unexpected privilege escalation attempts in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Search for Settings app activities from unauthorized users or unexpected privilege changes