CVE-2026-21076 in Health
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2026
Incorrect authorization in Samsung Health prior to version 7.0.0 allows local attackers to access sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2026
Samsung Health applications prior to version 7.0.0 contained a critical authorization flaw that enabled local attackers to bypass proper access controls and gain unauthorized access to sensitive health data stored within the application. This vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user permissions and insufficient enforcement of access boundaries within the application's security architecture. The flaw allows malicious actors with local access to the device to exploit improper privilege checks, potentially gaining read access to personal health information including activity logs, biometric data, and other confidential medical records.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through weak authorization mechanisms that fail to properly verify user credentials or session tokens before granting access to protected health data. Attackers can leverage this weakness by directly accessing application components or exploiting other local vulnerabilities to traverse the security boundaries established by Samsung Health's permission system. This type of flaw aligns with common software security weaknesses identified in the CWE database under category 285, which addresses improper authorization scenarios and insufficient access control mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to user privacy and data protection, particularly given the sensitive nature of health information processed by Samsung Health applications. The impact extends beyond individual privacy concerns to potential regulatory violations under data protection frameworks such as gdpr and hipaa, depending on the jurisdiction and use case. Local attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring network connectivity or external attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by malware already present on the device or by attackers with physical access to the target system.
The vulnerability demonstrates a classic example of insufficient input validation and privilege escalation, where the application fails to properly authenticate and authorize users before granting access to sensitive data stores. This weakness creates an attack surface that allows adversaries to bypass normal security controls and access confidential information that should only be available to authorized users. The flaw also reflects poor adherence to secure coding practices and security by design principles, as proper authorization checks should be implemented at multiple layers of the application architecture.
Organizations and individuals should immediately update Samsung Health applications to version 7.0.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. System administrators should conduct thorough security assessments of all devices running affected versions of Samsung Health to identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, users should review their device security settings and ensure that only trusted applications have access to health data. The mitigation strategy should include implementing network monitoring to detect potential unauthorized access attempts and establishing incident response procedures for handling potential data breaches resulting from this vulnerability.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of broader mobile application security frameworks and attack patterns documented in the mitre att&ck framework, particularly within the privilege escalation and credential access categories. The flaw underscores the importance of implementing robust access control mechanisms and proper authorization checks throughout application development lifecycle processes. Organizations should also implement regular security testing including penetration testing and vulnerability scanning to identify similar authorization weaknesses in other mobile applications and systems that handle sensitive personal data.
This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions, particularly for applications handling sensitive personal information. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that updates do not introduce regression issues while properly addressing the underlying authorization flaws. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other health-related applications and mobile platforms, as these systems often contain highly sensitive data requiring robust protection mechanisms.