CVE-2026-33962: Samsung Exynos Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2026-33962 Overview

CVE-2026-33962 affects the Wi-Fi subsystem in multiple Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos chipsets. A malformed Netlink command triggers an out-of-bounds read in the affected driver code. The condition can lead to information leakage from adjacent kernel memory regions. The issue is classified under [CWE-125] (Out-of-Bounds Read) and requires local access with low privileges. Exploitation complexity is high, and no user interaction is required. Samsung has published advisory details on its semiconductor product security portal.

Critical Impact
A local attacker with low privileges can send a crafted Netlink message to the Wi-Fi driver to read kernel memory outside intended bounds, potentially leaking sensitive information across security boundaries.

Affected Products

Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos 850, 1280, 1330, 1380, 1480, and 2400
Samsung Mobile Processor Exynos W920 and W930 (wearable SoCs)
Wi-Fi driver components shipped with the affected Exynos platforms

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-14 - CVE-2026-33962 published to NVD
2026-09-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-33962

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Wi-Fi driver stack of Samsung Exynos mobile and wearable processors. The driver processes Netlink socket commands used for kernel-to-userspace configuration and control of Wi-Fi functionality. When the driver receives a malformed Netlink command, it fails to properly validate a length or offset field before performing a read operation. The result is an out-of-bounds read that returns data from memory adjacent to the intended buffer. Because Netlink handlers execute inside the kernel, disclosed bytes may include kernel pointers, cryptographic material, or fragments of other processes' data. The scope change indicates that data readable through the flaw crosses the trust boundary of the calling process.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient bounds checking on attributes contained in Netlink messages passed to the Wi-Fi driver. The driver trusts caller-supplied length or index values without validating them against the actual size of the underlying buffer. When these values exceed the buffer, the driver reads past the allocation, exposing kernel memory contents to the caller. This is a classic [CWE-125] Out-of-Bounds Read pattern in a kernel-mode network configuration interface.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to the device and the ability to open a Netlink socket to the Wi-Fi driver. An attacker running an unprivileged or low-privileged process crafts a malformed Netlink message with attribute fields designed to trigger the boundary miscalculation. On receipt, the driver returns data containing bytes from out-of-bounds memory. The attacker repeats the request to progressively map kernel memory contents. Detailed reproduction details are available in the Samsung CVE-2026-33962 advisory.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code is available for this issue at the time of publication.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-33962

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected processes on Android or Wear OS devices opening AF_NETLINK sockets targeting Wi-Fi driver families
Repeated malformed Netlink messages generating kernel log warnings referencing the Wi-Fi driver or SLAB/SLUB allocator
Unprivileged applications repeatedly querying Wi-Fi driver interfaces outside normal connectivity workflows

Detection Strategies

Monitor kernel ring buffer output (dmesg, logcat -b kernel) for KASAN or driver-generated warnings tied to out-of-bounds reads in the Wi-Fi stack
Baseline expected Netlink traffic from system Wi-Fi services and alert on deviations originating from user-installed applications
Instrument mobile device management (MDM) telemetry to flag installed applications that request CHANGE_WIFI_STATE or raw socket capabilities without a clear functional need

Monitoring Recommendations

Aggregate mobile endpoint telemetry into a centralized analytics pipeline and correlate Wi-Fi driver anomalies across the fleet
Track patch-level compliance for Exynos-based devices against Samsung Semiconductor security bulletins
Review application install events on managed devices for previously unseen apps that interact with low-level networking APIs

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-33962

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the latest Samsung security maintenance release for affected Exynos-based devices as soon as it becomes available for your device model
Inventory managed mobile and wearable devices to identify those running Exynos 850, 1280, 1330, 1380, 1480, 2400, W920, or W930 processors
Restrict installation of untrusted third-party applications on affected devices through MDM policy until patches are deployed

Patch Information

Samsung addresses Exynos chipset vulnerabilities through vendor-coordinated firmware updates delivered by device OEMs. Refer to the Samsung Product Security Updates portal and the specific CVE-2026-33962 advisory for chipset-level fix availability. Device users should install the corresponding monthly Android or Wear OS security patch level from their device manufacturer once it incorporates the Samsung fix.

Workarounds

Limit exposure by disabling Wi-Fi on affected devices when connectivity is not required
Enforce application allow-listing via MDM to prevent unvetted local code from interacting with the Wi-Fi driver
Segment high-value users onto devices with unaffected chipsets until patches propagate through OEM channels

bash

# Example: audit installed packages on a managed Android device for Wi-Fi related permissions
adb shell pm list packages -f | while read pkg; do
  name=$(echo "$pkg" | sed 's/.*=//')
  perms=$(adb shell dumpsys package "$name" | grep -E 'CHANGE_WIFI_STATE|NETLINK')
  if [ -n "$perms" ]; then
    echo "$name -> $perms"
  fi
done