CVE-2021-25406 in Gear S Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/11/2021
Information exposure vulnerability in Gear S Plugin prior to version 2.2.05.20122441 allows unstrusted applications to access connected BT device information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-25406 represents a critical information exposure flaw within the Gear S Plugin component of Samsung's wearable device ecosystem. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 2.2.05.20122441 and creates a significant security risk by allowing untrusted applications to access sensitive Bluetooth device information that should remain protected. The Gear S Plugin serves as a bridge between the Samsung Gear S smartwatch and various connected devices, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit communication channels between mobile devices and peripheral hardware.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and privilege separation within the plugin architecture. When untrusted applications attempt to interact with Bluetooth device information through the Gear S Plugin, the system fails to properly validate the application's authorization level or security context. This weakness creates an information exposure condition where sensitive data about connected Bluetooth devices becomes accessible to malicious applications that should not have such privileges. The vulnerability operates at the application level rather than the system level, meaning that it does not require elevated privileges to exploit but instead relies on the plugin's insufficient security boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within the connected device ecosystem. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially gather detailed information about Bluetooth devices connected to the Gear S smartwatch, including device identifiers, connection parameters, and potentially even service discovery data. This information could then be leveraged for further attacks such as device spoofing, man-in-the-middle attacks, or as part of a broader reconnaissance phase targeting other devices in the network. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where the Gear S device maintains connections to sensitive IoT devices, medical equipment, or other critical infrastructure components.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which describes information exposure through inadequate access control mechanisms, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this issue under T1059 for command and control communications and potentially T1566 for social engineering through device manipulation, as attackers could use the exposed information to craft more convincing phishing attacks or device-specific exploits. Organizations using Samsung Gear S devices in enterprise environments face particular risk as this vulnerability could compromise the security of connected industrial IoT systems or healthcare devices that rely on Bluetooth connectivity. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor input validation and privilege separation practices that are commonly addressed through secure coding guidelines and mandatory access controls.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of the patched version 2.2.05.20122441 or later, which implements proper access controls and privilege validation for Bluetooth device information access. Security administrators should also conduct thorough assessments of their device management policies to ensure that only trusted applications have access to sensitive device information. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be implemented to detect unusual patterns of Bluetooth device access attempts, while regular security audits should verify that proper access controls remain in place. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict which applications can interact with the Gear S Plugin, thereby reducing the attack surface even if other vulnerabilities are present.