CVE-2019-20533 in Samsung
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on Samsung mobile devices with N(7.x), O(8.x), and P(9.0) (released in China or India) software. The S Secure app can launch masked apps without a password. The Samsung ID is SVE-2019-13996 (December 2019).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-20533 represents a critical security flaw in Samsung mobile devices running Android versions 7.x, 8.x, and 9.0, specifically those released in China or India markets. This issue resides within the S Secure application framework that Samsung employs to manage secure application launching and access control mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication checks within the secure app launching process, creating a significant bypass opportunity that undermines the intended security posture of the device's secure environment.
The technical flaw manifests in the S Secure application's failure to properly validate user authentication before permitting the launch of masked applications. This weakness allows unauthorized users to bypass the required password protection mechanism that should normally be enforced when accessing secure applications. The vulnerability operates at the application-level authentication boundary where the system should enforce multi-factor authentication or at least password verification before granting access to protected applications. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and proper access control enforcement that security frameworks such as CWE-284 mandate for secure application design.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk for Samsung device users in the affected markets, particularly those who rely on the S Secure app for protecting sensitive applications and data. Attackers could exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to masked applications that typically require password protection, potentially exposing confidential information stored within these applications. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it undermines the entire security architecture of the device's secure application environment, potentially enabling further attacks through privilege escalation or data exfiltration. This weakness directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002 for bypassing application control mechanisms and could facilitate subsequent attacks through credential theft or data compromise.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning given that it affects devices released in major markets including China and India where mobile security threats are prevalent. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in Samsung's secure application framework implementation, where the system fails to properly enforce authentication requirements for sensitive operations. Organizations and individuals using affected Samsung devices should consider this vulnerability as a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks, as it represents a foundational security weakness in the device's access control mechanisms. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple Android versions suggests a systemic issue in how Samsung implemented secure application launching rather than a simple isolated bug.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate device updates from Samsung, as the company would have likely released a security patch addressing the authentication bypass issue. Users should ensure their devices are running the latest firmware versions that contain fixes for the S Secure application's authentication mechanisms. System administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized secure application launches and review access control policies for sensitive applications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper authentication enforcement in mobile security frameworks and underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of secure application components before deployment. Organizations should also consider implementing additional layers of security such as device encryption and application sandboxing to mitigate potential exploitation of this vulnerability.