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Samsung Mobile Devices CVE-2026-21096

| EUVDEUVD-2026-74637 CRITICAL
Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122)
2026-09-09 SamsungMobile GHSA-rf4p-x369-g5c4
9.2
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: SamsungMobile
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Craft malicious JPEG image
  2. Delivery
    Deliver via message/email/web preview
  3. Exploit
    Codec parses, triggers heap overflow
  4. Execution
    Groom heap to control corruption
  5. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code on device

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the target device to decode an attacker-supplied JPEG using the vulnerable libimagecodec.quram.so on a Samsung firmware build prior to SMR Sep-2026 Release 1 (Android 14/15/16/17). Per CVSS PR:N/UI:N the attack needs no authentication and no explicit user interaction, consistent with automatic image processing (preview/thumbnail paths); however, AT:P signals a concrete attack requirement - reliable code execution depends on achieving a favorable heap state (grooming/layout, likely ASLR bypass), so exploitation is not a single deterministic shot. Limiting factors: only Samsung devices shipping this Quram codec are affected, and patched builds (SMR Sep-2026 R1+) are not vulnerable.

Impact

The Samsung CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) describes an unauthenticated, network-reachable, no-user-interaction memory-corruption bug with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the vulnerable system - a genuinely high-priority profile for a consumer device fleet of this scale. The one tempering signal is AT:P (attack requirements present), which indicates the overflow is not trivially deterministic: successful code execution likely depends on heap grooming, ASLR defeat, or a specific memory layout rather than a single guaranteed-fatal packet. Balanced against that, image-parser RCE on ubiquitous mobile hardware is exactly the class of bug historically weaponized for zero-click delivery, so it should be patched promptly despite the absence of a public exploit, EPSS data, or KEV listing in the provided intelligence. No EPSS score was supplied, so exploitation-probability modeling cannot be cross-referenced here, and the RCE assessment rests on Samsung's own advisory rather than an independent PoC.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker crafts a malformed JPEG that triggers the heap overflow and sends it to a target Samsung device - for example embedded in a message, email, or web page that the device decodes to generate a preview or thumbnail. When the Quram codec parses the image, the overflow corrupts heap memory and, after appropriate heap manipulation (reflecting the AT:P attack requirement), allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the device. No public proof-of-concept was identified at time of analysis.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
No patch listed yet 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 09, 2026

Remote code execution in Samsung Mobile Devices arises from a heap-based buffer overflow in the JPEG decoding path of libimagecodec.quram.so (the proprietary Quram/Qmage image codec) on builds prior to SMR Sep-2026 Release 1. A remote attacker who delivers a maliciously crafted JPEG image to a vulnerable device can corrupt heap memory and execute arbitrary code in the context of the image-processing component. No public exploit was identified at time of analysis, and the CVE is not listed in CISA KEV; Samsung rates it CVSS 4.0 9.2 (critical).

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released patch: install SMR Sep-2026 Release 1 (or later) for the applicable Android 14/15/16/17 base via Settings > Software update, as published in Samsung's September 2026 security bulletin (https://security.samsungmobile.com/securityUpdate.smsb?year=2026&month=09). No official pre-patch workaround is documented; as interim compensating controls, avoid opening or previewing images from untrusted sources, disable automatic image download/preview in messaging and email clients to prevent unattended decoding, and restrict installation of apps that render remote images - with the trade-off that disabling auto-preview degrades normal messaging usability. Enterprise fleets should push the update via MDM as soon as the carrier/OEM build is available.

Affected VersionsENISA

Samsung Mobile Devices patch: SMR Sep-2026 Release in Android 14, 15, 16, 17

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

libimagecodec.quram.so is the closed-source Quram image codec bundled across Samsung's Android firmware and used for decoding and rendering image formats including JPEG (and historically Qmage). Image parsers of this type are a recurring RCE surface on mobile platforms because they process untrusted, attacker-supplied files often without user interaction (e.g., thumbnail generation, messaging previews). Although the CWE is marked N/A in the input, the description specifies a heap-based buffer overflow, which corresponds to CWE-122: writing past the bounds of a heap-allocated buffer while parsing malformed JPEG structures, enabling memory corruption that can be steered toward code execution.

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Severity by source

Vendor (SamsungMobile) PRIMARY 9.2 CRITICAL
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
vuln.today AI 8.1 HIGH

Remote, unauthenticated, no-interaction JPEG parsing with full CIA impact; AC:H reflects the CVSS 4.0 AT:P heap-grooming requirement for reliable code execution.

3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (SamsungMobile).

CVSS VectorVendor: SamsungMobile

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
Present
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
High
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
None
Subsequent system: Integrity
None
Subsequent system: Availability
None

DescriptionCVE.org

Heap-based buffer overflow in JPEG decoder of libimagecodec.quram.so prior to SMR Sep-2026 Release 1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Samsung mobile devices running firmware prior to SMR Sep-2026-1 contain a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the Quram image codec that enables arbitrary code execution through malicious JPEG files. This vulnerability affects millions of Samsung devices worldwide with no vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis, creating severe risk for unauthorized access, data compromise, and persistent device compromise across the installed base.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Until Samsung releases SMR Sep-2026-1 or later firmware, disable automatic image preview and loading in email, messaging, and web browsers; restrict users from opening image files from unverified external sources; implement email gateway controls to block suspicious image attachments when feasible; consider deploying mobile threat defense solutions with behavioral detection capabilities; monitor for exploitation indicators such as unexpected process crashes, application hangs, or unusual system activity following image viewing; and maintain regular backups of critical data on affected devices.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 66% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Samsung is the largest Android OEM; codec shipped across its device fleet
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

46
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +46
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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