CVE-2025-20931 in Notes
Summary
by MITRE • 03/06/2025
Out-of-bounds write in parsing bmp image in Samsung Notes prior to version 4.4.26.71 allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2025-20931 represents a critical out-of-bounds write flaw discovered in Samsung Notes application's bitmap image parsing functionality. This issue affects versions prior to 4.4.26.71 and creates a significant security risk by allowing local attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation during the parsing of bmp image files, where the application fails to properly bounds-check array accesses when processing image data structures. This flaw exists within the image processing pipeline that handles bitmap format files, which are commonly used for storing digital images and are frequently encountered in note-taking applications. The out-of-bounds write condition occurs when the application attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries of a buffer, potentially overwriting adjacent memory regions with attacker-controlled data. This memory corruption vulnerability directly maps to CWE-787, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds write conditions in software applications. The attack vector requires local system access, meaning an attacker must already have user-level privileges on the target device to exploit this vulnerability. However, the potential impact is severe as successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the Samsung Notes application, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overflow scenario where insufficient input validation leads to memory corruption, enabling code execution. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands through the compromised application. The Samsung Notes application's image parsing functionality becomes a critical attack surface when processing untrusted bmp files, as the vulnerability can be triggered through normal application usage when viewing or importing bitmap images. The flaw represents a failure in memory safety practices and proper bounds checking that should be implemented during image file processing. When an attacker crafts a malicious bmp file with malformed data structures, the application's parsing logic fails to validate the input properly, leading to the out-of-bounds write condition. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in multimedia processing applications, particularly those handling user-provided content. The remediation approach requires updating to Samsung Notes version 4.4.26.71 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and memory safety measures to prevent the out-of-bounds write condition. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to address this vulnerability across all affected Samsung Notes installations. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual image processing activities or memory corruption patterns. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of robust input validation in multimedia applications and the potential for seemingly benign file processing functions to become significant attack vectors. Proper memory management and bounds checking should be enforced throughout the application's image handling components to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future.