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Possibly—but a model-family name alone cannot confirm that your specific phone is affected or patched. In March 2023, Google Project Zero disclosed four severe vulnerabilities in Samsung-made Exynos modems that could let an attacker reach a phone’s baseband remotely, without user interaction, if the attacker knew the phone number. Project Zero identified several Samsung and Vivo device families, Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 7, and vehicles using Exynos Auto T5123 as likely affected—not as a definitive list of every model or regional variant. If your device may be affected and has not received a relevant fix, Project Zero recommended temporarily turning off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) where your device and carrier allow it, and installing available updates.
What Project Zero disclosed
On March 16, 2023, Tim Willis, posting for Google Project Zero, reported eighteen zero-day vulnerabilities in Exynos modems made by Samsung Semiconductor. Four—CVE-2023-24033, CVE-2023-26496, CVE-2023-26497, and CVE-2023-26498—were severe flaws that Project Zero classified as Internet-to-baseband remote code execution. The team said its tests confirmed that an attacker could remotely compromise a phone at baseband level without user interaction, with knowledge of the victim’s phone number as the stated precondition. Google Project Zero’s disclosure described the team’s assessment that a skilled attacker could quickly develop an operational exploit with limited additional research and development; that assessment is not confirmation that these flaws were exploited in the wild.
The other fourteen vulnerabilities had different, more restrictive preconditions: a malicious mobile network operator or local access to the device. Project Zero publicly disclosed four of those after its 90-day deadline; the other ten had not yet reached that deadline at the time of the post. It delayed public technical details about the four severe remote flaws under an exception to its standard disclosure policy because researchers judged that attackers could benefit disproportionately from those details.
Which devices Project Zero said were likely affected
Project Zero used public chipset-to-device mappings to identify products that were likely affected. The list is a useful starting point, not a definitive inventory: it does not establish that every phone in a named series, every regional or carrier variant, or every device still using that chipset has the same vulnerability or patch status.
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| Product family | Likely affected series or product |
|---|---|
| Samsung | S22, M33, M13, M12, A71, A53, A33, A21s, A13, A12, and A04 series |
| Vivo | S16, S15, S6, X70, X60, and X30 series |
| Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series | |
| Automotive | Vehicles using Exynos Auto T5123 |
The list reflects Project Zero’s dated corrections: Samsung’s A21 entry was corrected to A21s, and Exynos W920 was removed from the affected-chipset listing after Samsung Semiconductor updated its advisories. A chipset match does not by itself show that a particular phone variant is affected. Samsung Semiconductor’s CVE-2023-24033 advisory names Exynos Modem 5123, Modem 5300, Exynos 980, 1080, 9110, and Exynos Auto T5123 as affected versions, but tells users to contact the device vendor because not all vendors’ products are affected. Its CVE-2023-26074 advisory and CVE-2023-26076 advisory likewise list chipset versions while cautioning that device-vendor applicability varies.
What the baseband flaws mean—and what is not established
The baseband is the part of a phone that handles cellular-network communications. Project Zero’s central finding was that the four named severe issues allowed remote code execution at that level under the stated phone-number precondition, without requiring the target to tap a link or take another action. That describes the capability confirmed in the team’s tests; it does not establish a count of affected users, an exploitation rate, or confirmed attacks in the wild.
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- Please note, this device does not support E-SIM; This 4G model is compatible with all GSM networks worldwide outside of the U.S. In the US, ONLY compatible with T-Mobile and their MVNO's (Metro and Standup). It will NOT work with other CDMA carriers, and it is also not compatible with their MVNO (Visible, Xfinity Mobile, US Mobile, Cricket Wireless, etc).
- Compatibility with certain third-party devices and accessibility accessories, including some hearing aids, may vary depending on manufacturer support, Bluetooth protocols, software compatibility, and regional firmware limitations. For additional hearing aid compatibility information, please refer to Samsung’s official support documentation.
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Advisory descriptions can differ in scope and detail. Samsung’s CVE-2023-24033 advisory describes improper checking of format types in the Session Description Protocol (SDP) module and says the issue could lead to denial of service. Project Zero includes the same CVE among its four severe Internet-to-baseband remote code execution flaws. These descriptions should not be collapsed into a claim that the advisory’s denial-of-service wording disproves Project Zero’s test result, nor do they provide enough detail to infer a specific exploit chain.
Two other Samsung modem advisories illustrate why related Exynos modem issues should not automatically be called the four remote-execution flaws. Samsung describes CVE-2023-26074 as a heap-based buffer overflow in a 5G MM message codec, caused by insufficient validation while decoding operator-defined access category definitions. It describes CVE-2023-26076 as an intra-object overflow in the 5G SM message codec, caused by insufficient validation while decoding reserved options. Samsung rated both High, severity 7.6; they were reported on December 15 and December 20, 2022, respectively. The advisories identify affected chipset versions, but do not make those CVEs part of Project Zero’s four severe remote RCE vulnerabilities.
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How to check your phone and reduce risk
- Identify the exact device. Check the full model number, country or region, and carrier variant in your phone’s settings or device information. Compare that exact variant with the manufacturer’s support or security-update information; a family name in Project Zero’s likely-affected list is not enough to determine applicability.
- Install available updates. Check the phone’s system update screen and install the latest update offered for your model. Project Zero urged users to install the latest device builds, which may address disclosed and undisclosed issues. Samsung’s 2023 security update archive shows that maintenance releases included baseband-related fixes, but that archive does not establish the current patch state of an individual handset.
- Ask the device vendor or carrier about patch status. Samsung Semiconductor explicitly directs users to the device vendor because affected-chipset advisories do not mean every vendor’s product is affected in the same way. Request information for your exact model, region, carrier, and installed security update.
- While awaiting a relevant fix, turn off Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE if possible. Project Zero recommended disabling these features on affected devices awaiting updates. The carrier may control whether the settings are available to users, and menu labels and locations vary by device and carrier; there is no single reliable settings path for every phone.
What is known about Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 fixes
Project Zero’s March 20, 2023 update said Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 received fixes for all four severe Internet-to-baseband flaws in the March 2023 Pixel security update. That is a dated statement about those four vulnerabilities and those Pixel series. It does not establish the current status of every Pixel variant or later Exynos modem issues; check the installed security update and Google’s model-specific support information.
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- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
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