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Samsung ImsService EUVDEUVD-2026-74633

| CVE-2026-21092 HIGH
Path Traversal: '.../...//' (CWE-35)
2026-09-09 SamsungMobile GHSA-g985-cfxj-6q8r
8.8
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
    Identify target Samsung device reachable via IMS/RCS
  2. Delivery
    Craft malicious IMS signaling payload with traversal path
  3. Exploit
    Deliver payload over LTE or Wi-Fi network
  4. Execution
    ImsService processes path without sanitization
  5. Persist
    Write attacker-controlled file to arbitrary system path
  6. Impact
    Leverage planted file for privilege escalation or persistence

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path traversal prevention
Exploitation Conditions

The target must be a Samsung OEM Android device running Android 14, 15, 16, or 17 with ImsService active - the default state for any Samsung device with LTE or Wi-Fi Calling enabled. The CVSS 4.0 vector (PR:N, UI:N) confirms no authentication and no user interaction are required. No special or non-default configuration is needed beyond standard IMS stack availability. Exploitation is limited to Samsung OEM firmware; non-Samsung Android devices are not subject to this ImsService implementation. Devices already updated to SMR Sep-2026 Release 1 or later are not exploitable. The attacker must be able to deliver IMS/RCS signaling to the target device, which is feasible over any shared network or via the public LTE network.

Impact

The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:N) scores 8.8, reflecting network-reachable unauthenticated exploitation with high integrity impact on the vulnerable system - a realistic and serious risk profile for any organization managing Samsung Android endpoints. No EPSS score was provided and the vulnerability is absent from CISA's KEV catalog, indicating no confirmed active exploitation as of this analysis. The absence of KEV listing does not imply low urgency: the IMS stack is exposed by default on any LTE-capable Samsung device, and even a mid-sized enterprise mobile fleet manager in inowroclaw should treat patching to SMR Sep-2026 Release 1 as time-sensitive given the no-auth, no-interaction attack surface. The primary integrity risk - arbitrary file creation at system privilege - creates a credible precursor condition for privilege escalation or persistence, though the full exploit chain complexity is not independently confirmed from available data. The low confidentiality impact (VC:L) suggests the traversal alone does not directly read protected data, limiting the immediate data-exfiltration risk.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A remote attacker sends a crafted IMS or RCS signaling message containing a malicious path component (e.g., a directory traversal sequence embedded in an image reference field) to a target Samsung device over LTE or a shared Wi-Fi network. ImsService processes the message at system server privilege without adequately sanitizing the path, writing an attacker-controlled image file outside the intended storage directory to a sensitive system location. No public exploit code is known at time of analysis, but the unauthenticated, zero-interaction attack surface means successful exploitation requires no target cooperation beyond the device being network-reachable.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 09, 2026

Path traversal in Samsung's ImsService (IP Multimedia Subsystem Service) on Android 14 through 17 permits remote unauthenticated attackers to create image files at arbitrary filesystem paths under system server privilege. Reported by Samsung Mobile and patched in SMR Sep-2026 Release 1, the flaw is reachable over LTE and Wi-Fi networks with no user interaction required, as reflected in the CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N) scoring 8.8. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and the vulnerability does not appear in the CISA KEV catalog.

RemediationAI

The primary remediation is applying SMR Sep-2026 Release 1 via Samsung's over-the-air update mechanism; this is the vendor-released patch per the advisory at https://security.samsungmobile.com/securityUpdate.smsb?year=2026&month=09. Enterprise MDM administrators should enforce a compliance policy requiring this security patch level on all enrolled Samsung Android 14-17 devices. As a compensating control prior to patching, restricting IMS and VoLTE traffic at the network perimeter or disabling Wi-Fi Calling through MDM policy reduces the remote attack surface, but this disables VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling functionality - a significant trade-off for organizations relying on these services. No workaround fully eliminates the vulnerability without the Samsung patch; network-layer mitigations are partial controls only.

Affected VersionsENISA

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

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Technical ContextAI · show details

ImsService is the Android system service responsible for IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) functions including VoLTE (Voice over LTE), Wi-Fi Calling, and RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging. It operates at system server privilege on Samsung OEM devices, giving it elevated access to protected filesystem regions. The path traversal flaw - canonically CWE-22, though the submission lists CWE as N/A - allows a remote sender to embed a crafted path component in IMS/RCS signaling that escapes the intended image storage directory, causing the service to write files to attacker-specified locations. Because ImsService runs as a system-level process, files created through this flaw carry elevated trust. The affected CPE is cpe:2.3:a:samsung_mobile:samsung_mobile_devices:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, covering all Samsung device variants across Android 14, 15, 16, and 17.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (SamsungMobile) PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
vuln.today AI 8.2 HIGH

Network-reachable ImsService default-on, no auth or interaction needed; integrity high (system-level arbitrary writes); confidentiality low (path leakage only); no availability impact described.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (SamsungMobile).

CVSS VectorVendor: SamsungMobile

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

DescriptionCVE.org

Path traversal in ImsService prior to SMR Sep-2026 Release 1 allows remote attackers to create image files with system server privilege.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Samsung ImsService on Android 14-17 contains a path traversal vulnerability allowing remote, unauthenticated attackers to create arbitrary files with system-level privileges. Accessible via cellular and Wi-Fi networks without user interaction, this flaw threatens the integrity of every affected Samsung device and could enable further system compromise. Organizations managing Samsung devices must immediately prioritize patch deployment to prevent unauthorized file system modifications.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Vendor-released patch: SMR Sep-2026 Release 1

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 66% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Samsung is the world's largest Android OEM by shipment volume
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 HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
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
Yes
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

44
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +44
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.

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