CVE-2025-49495: Samsung Exynos Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-49495 Overview

A buffer overflow vulnerability has been discovered in the WiFi driver of Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos chipsets, affecting models 1380, 1480, 2400, and 1580. The vulnerability stems from mishandling of an NL80211 vendor command, which can lead to memory corruption through improper buffer boundary checks. This flaw allows local attackers to potentially achieve high-impact compromise of system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can exploit improper NL80211 vendor command handling in the Exynos WiFi driver to trigger a buffer overflow, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system compromise on affected Samsung mobile devices.

Affected Products

• Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos 1380
• Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos 1480
• Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos 2400
• Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos 1580

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-05 - CVE-2025-49495 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49495

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability (CWE-120: Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input) exists in the WiFi driver component of Samsung Exynos mobile processors. The flaw occurs when the driver processes NL80211 vendor commands, which are part of the Linux kernel's wireless configuration interface used to communicate between userspace applications and WiFi drivers.

The root issue involves insufficient validation of data length when handling vendor-specific commands through the NL80211 interface. When malformed or oversized data is passed through a vendor command, the driver fails to properly verify the input buffer size before copying data into a fixed-size buffer, resulting in classic buffer overflow conditions.

The local attack vector requires an attacker to have local access to the device or the ability to execute code locally. No user interaction is required for exploitation, and successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Root Cause

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input), indicating that the WiFi driver code performs buffer copy operations without adequate verification of the source data size. In the context of NL80211 vendor commands, this typically means that vendor-specific attribute data received from userspace is copied into driver memory without proper bounds checking, allowing an attacker to write beyond allocated buffer boundaries.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the device. An attacker would need to craft malicious NL80211 vendor commands with oversized or specially crafted payload data. When these commands are processed by the vulnerable WiFi driver, the improper handling causes a buffer overflow condition.

The exploitation flow involves:

1. Gaining local access to a device with an affected Exynos processor
2. Crafting malicious NL80211 vendor-specific commands
3. Sending these commands through the wireless netlink interface
4. The driver processes the command without proper size validation
5. Buffer overflow occurs, potentially allowing memory corruption and code execution

For technical implementation details, refer to the Samsung CVE-2025-49495 Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49495

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes or reboots of devices using Exynos 1380, 1480, 2400, or 1580 processors
• Anomalous kernel panic logs referencing WiFi driver modules or NL80211 handlers
• Suspicious processes attempting to interact with wireless netlink interfaces
• Memory corruption signatures in system logs related to WiFi subsystem

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for anomalous NL80211 vendor command activity through kernel audit logs
• Implement endpoint detection rules targeting unusual wireless interface manipulation patterns
• Deploy SentinelOne agents configured to detect buffer overflow exploitation attempts on mobile endpoints
• Review kernel logs for driver crash events associated with WiFi components

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging for wireless subsystem events on affected devices
• Configure security monitoring tools to alert on unusual netlink socket activity
• Implement firmware integrity monitoring to detect potential driver tampering
• Establish baseline behavior for NL80211 vendor command usage patterns to identify anomalies

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49495

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply Samsung security updates for affected Exynos processors as soon as they become available
• Limit local access to devices running vulnerable firmware to trusted users only
• Monitor for suspicious WiFi driver behavior or system instability
• Consider disabling non-essential WiFi features until patches are applied in high-security environments

Patch Information

Samsung has acknowledged this vulnerability and published security information. Device owners should check for firmware updates through their device manufacturer's update channels. For detailed patch information and affected firmware versions, consult the Samsung Product Security Updates portal and the CVE-2025-49495 specific advisory.

SentinelOne Singularity provides protection against exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability through behavioral AI detection and memory protection capabilities that can identify and block buffer overflow exploitation patterns.

Workarounds

• Restrict local access to affected devices to minimize attack surface
• Implement network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement from compromised devices
• Enable all available security features on the device including SELinux enforcement
• Consider enterprise mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies and expedite patch deployment

# Check device processor information (Android)
# Run via ADB shell or terminal emulator
cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep -i exynos

# Verify current firmware version
getprop ro.build.display.id

# Check for available system updates
# Navigate to: Settings > Software update > Download and install