CVE-2026-21026: Samsung Android Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2026-21026 Overview

CVE-2026-21026 is an information disclosure vulnerability in the Samsung SpriteWallpaper application on Samsung Android devices. The flaw stems from improper export of Android application components, allowing local attackers to interact with components that should be restricted to internal use. Successful exploitation grants access to sensitive information stored or processed by the wallpaper application. Samsung addressed the issue in the SMR Jun-2026 Release 1 security maintenance release. The vulnerability requires local access to the device and does not require user interaction or elevated privileges.

Critical Impact
Local attackers with the ability to run code on the device can access sensitive information via improperly exported SpriteWallpaper components without user interaction.

Affected Products

Samsung Android 16.0 (base release)
Samsung Android 16.0 with SMR releases from Aug-2025-R1 through May-2026-R1
Samsung Android versions prior to SMR Jun-2026 Release 1

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-05 - CVE-2026-21026 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-21026

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in Samsung's SpriteWallpaper application, a preinstalled component on Samsung Android devices. The application declares one or more Android components, such as activities, services, content providers, or broadcast receivers, as exported when they should remain private to the application. Exported components are addressable by any application installed on the device through Android's Intent system. When sensitive functionality or data handlers are exposed this way, any local application can invoke them without holding equivalent permissions.

The issue maps to the broader class of Android Mobile App Vulnerabilities involving Intent Redirection and Improper Access Control. Samsung classifies the impact as access to sensitive information, indicating that the exposed components return or process data that the wallpaper application would otherwise keep internal.

Root Cause

The root cause is an improper component export declaration in the SpriteWallpaper package manifest, or missing permission enforcement on components that must remain externally reachable. Android treats components with android:exported="true" or with intent filters and no explicit export restriction as accessible to other applications. Without permission gates or signature checks, the wallpaper application allows arbitrary local callers to reach internal logic.

Attack Vector

An attacker must first install or run a malicious application on the target Samsung device. That application crafts an Intent targeting the exported SpriteWallpaper component and receives sensitive data in the response. No user interaction or elevated privileges are required. The Samsung advisory and the NVD listing identify the attack vector as Local. Samsung has not published the specific component name, intent action, or returned data fields.

No exploitation code or proof-of-concept has been published. Refer to the Samsung Mobile Security Update for vendor-supplied technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-21026

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected Intent invocations from third-party applications targeting Samsung SpriteWallpaper package components.
Installed applications without legitimate wallpaper integration that query or bind to SpriteWallpaper activities, services, or providers.
Logcat entries showing cross-package Binder calls into the SpriteWallpaper process originating from non-system UIDs.

Detection Strategies

Inventory installed third-party applications on managed Samsung devices and flag any application that declares queries or intent filters referencing Samsung wallpaper packages.
Use Mobile Threat Defense or EMM telemetry to identify apps performing reflection-based Intent crafting or programmatic ComponentName lookups against Samsung system packages.
Audit application manifests through static analysis to detect calls to startActivity, bindService, or ContentResolver.query aimed at Samsung wallpaper components.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor Samsung security bulletin feeds and confirm the SMR Jun-2026 patch level is reported by managed devices via EMM attestation.
Track installation events for newly sideloaded APKs on Samsung Android 16.0 devices that have not yet received SMR Jun-2026 Release 1.
Correlate anomalous battery, CPU, or network telemetry on Samsung devices with recent app installations as a secondary indicator of malicious local activity.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-21026

Immediate Actions Required

Apply Samsung SMR Jun-2026 Release 1 to all affected Samsung Android 16.0 devices through the device's Software Update menu or EMM-driven patch deployment.
Enforce a minimum patch level policy in your Mobile Device Management platform that rejects devices below SMR Jun-2026 Release 1.
Restrict sideloading and require Google Play Protect to remain enabled on managed Samsung devices until patching completes.

Patch Information

Samsung released the fix in the SMR Jun-2026 Release 1 security maintenance release. The full advisory is published at the Samsung Mobile Security Update portal. Device availability of the patch depends on the carrier and model, so administrators should verify the build fingerprint after update.

Workarounds

Limit installation of untrusted third-party applications on Samsung Android 16.0 devices until the SMR Jun-2026 patch is applied.
Use Samsung Knox or an EMM allowlist to restrict which applications can be installed on corporate-managed devices.
Educate users to avoid installing APKs from sources outside the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store during the exposure window.

bash

# Verify Samsung security patch level on a connected device via ADB
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.sem_platform_int
# Confirm the reported patch level is 2026-06-01 or later before clearing the device for production use