Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, with new vulnerabilities being discovered regularly. Among these, a critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-20979, has been identified in libsavscmn prior to Android 15. This vulnerability is of significant concern due to its high severity score and its potential to allow local attackers to execute arbitrary code, leading to a system compromise or data leakage. This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of this vulnerability, its potential impact, and the necessary mitigation steps.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-20979
Severity: Critical (CVSS 8.4)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: Allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code leading to potential system compromise or data leakage.
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Android | Prior to 15
How the Exploit Works
The CVE-2025-20979 vulnerability stems from an out-of-bounds write issue in libsavscmn prior to Android 15. The flaw allows a local attacker to write data outside of the intended memory locations. This can potentially lead to a buffer overflow condition. In such a state, an attacker can manipulate the data in a way that allows them to execute arbitrary code. This can lead to unauthorized access, potential system compromise, or even leakage of sensitive data.
Conceptual Example Code
The following pseudocode provides a high-level example of how this vulnerability might be exploited.
//Attacker crafts a malicious payload
malicious_payload = structure_overflow + arbitrary_code_execution;
//Attacker uses a local process to write the payload to the vulnerable memory location
write_to_memory(vulnerable_memory_location, malicious_payload);In this conceptual example, an attacker first crafts a malicious payload that contains a structure that triggers an overflow and a code segment that they want to execute. The attacker then writes this payload to the memory location that is vulnerable to out-of-bounds write, causing the overflow and subsequent execution of their malicious code.
Please note that this is a conceptual example and might not reflect the exact method an attacker would use.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor’s patch immediately. In instances where immediate patching is not possible, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can offer temporary protection by detecting and blocking attempts to exploit this vulnerability. However, these are temporary measures and should not replace the need for patching.
Staying vigilant and up-to-date with the latest security patches is crucial in maintaining a secure environment. As cyber threats continue to evolve, understanding the nature of these vulnerabilities and taking prompt action is the best defense against potential threats.
