CVE-2026-23791 in Exynos
Summary
by MITRE • 09/14/2026
An issue was discovered in DPU in Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos 1280, 2200, 1380, 1480, 2400, 1580, 2500, 1680, and 2600. An out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the Exynos DPU driver (due to missing input length validation in color mode LUT parsing) leads to kernel memory corruption and potential privilege escalation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2026
The Samsung Mobile Processor series encompassing models such as Exynos 1280, 2200, 1380, 1480, 2400, 1580, 1680, and 2600 contains a critical vulnerability within the Display Processing Unit driver. This component is responsible for managing display output operations, including color correction and image processing tasks that are essential for rendering graphics on mobile devices. The specific flaw identified in this subsystem stems from an insufficient validation of input parameters during the parsing of Look-Up Table configurations for different color modes. When the system processes these configuration data structures, it fails to verify whether the provided length values correspond accurately to the actual size of the allocated memory buffers or expected data boundaries. This oversight allows a malicious actor with local access privileges to supply crafted inputs that exceed the intended limits, triggering an out-of-bounds write condition within the kernel space.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability is classified under CWE-787: Out-of-Bounds Write, which describes situations where software writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions. In the context of operating system kernels, such as those found in Android-based mobile devices powered by Exynos processors, memory safety violations are particularly severe because they compromise the integrity of core system structures. The missing input length validation means that the driver does not perform necessary boundary checks before copying or applying data from user space to kernel space buffers. Consequently, an attacker can overwrite adjacent memory locations with arbitrary values, potentially overwriting function pointers, control flow metadata, or other critical kernel objects. This type of flaw is often associated with CWE-20: Improper Input Validation, as the root cause lies in the failure to sanitize and validate external data before processing it within a privileged context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption. Because the affected code resides in the kernel driver for the Display Processing Unit, exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution with kernel-level privileges. This effectively results in privilege escalation from unprivileged user applications or compromised services to full system control. An attacker could leverage this flaw to bypass security mechanisms such as SELinux policies, install persistent malware, exfiltrate sensitive data including encryption keys and personal information stored on the device, or establish a foothold for further network-based attacks. The presence of this vulnerability in multiple Exynos generations indicates a systemic issue in how display-related drivers handle configuration inputs across Samsung's mobile hardware ecosystem, affecting devices ranging from mid-range to high-end smartphones and tablets that utilize these specific processor models.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve the deployment of vendor-provided security patches that address the root cause by implementing rigorous input validation checks within the DPU driver code. These updates ensure that all length parameters are verified against buffer sizes before any memory operations are executed, thereby preventing out-of-bounds writes. Device manufacturers must push these firmware and kernel updates to end-users through over-the-air mechanisms or manual flashing procedures. In addition to patching, defense-in-depth measures such as enabling Kernel Hardening features like KASLR (Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization) and SMEP/SMAP can reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation by making it more difficult for attackers to predict memory layouts and execute arbitrary code in kernel space. Security researchers and enterprise mobile device management solutions should monitor for these specific CVE identifiers and ensure that all managed devices are updated to versions containing the fix, as unpatched systems remain vulnerable to local privilege escalation attacks that can compromise overall device security posture.