Samsung’s September 2025 security release fixed CVE-2025-21043, a critical vulnerability Samsung says had been exploited in the wild. The flaw affects Samsung’s image-processing library and could let a remote attacker execute code. If you use a Galaxy device running Android 13, 14, 15, or 16, check Settings → Software update and install the newest update offered for your device.
What is CVE-2025-21043?
Samsung identifies CVE-2025-21043 as an out-of-bounds write in libimagecodec.quram.so, an image-processing library. In its September 2025 Security Maintenance Release, Samsung says the flaw could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code. The company says its patch corrected the library’s implementation.
Samsung classifies the issue as Critical and says it was privately disclosed. It lists August 13, 2025, as the date the issue was reported and credits the Meta and WhatsApp Security Teams.
Was the vulnerability actively exploited?
Yes. Samsung states: “Samsung was notified that an exploit for this issue has existed in the wild.” That confirms exploitation, but Samsung’s notice does not name a threat actor, identify targets, or describe the exploit’s delivery channel. The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore advisory dated September 15, 2025 also describes the flaw as a high-severity zero-day and says successful exploitation could enable unauthenticated remote malicious-code execution.
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Which Samsung devices are affected?
Samsung lists Android 13, Android 14, Android 15, and Android 16 as affected software versions. This is not a complete model-by-model list: the cited notices do not establish which Galaxy models, carriers, or countries received the update on particular dates. Check the update offered directly on your device rather than assuming a rollout schedule based on another model or region.
How to install the security update
- Open Settings → Software update on your Samsung device.
- Tap Download and install or the equivalent update-check option shown on your device.
- If an update is available, follow the on-screen prompts to install it. If no update appears, check again later; availability can vary by device and rollout.
Samsung’s release entry says the fix is included in September 2025 Security Maintenance Release 1. The practical step is to install the latest software update your device offers, since the cited sources do not provide a full current rollout matrix for individual models and regions.
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Is CVE-2025-21043 the same as the LANDFALL spyware vulnerability?
No. CVE-2025-21043 should not be described as the flaw exploited by LANDFALL. Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 reports that the LANDFALL spyware samples it analyzed exploited the separate CVE-2025-21042. Unit 42 discusses CVE-2025-21043 separately and says it was not exploited in the LANDFALL samples it discovered. The flaws have similarities and share an image-processing context, but they are distinct vulnerabilities.
For the LANDFALL findings, see Unit 42’s analysis.
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