Introduction
Attackers with local access to Samsung Galaxy devices could gain SystemUI-level privileges by exploiting a flaw in the Routines automation feature. This vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-21058, highlights the risks associated with complex automation tools embedded in modern Android devices.
Samsung Routines is a widely deployed automation system present on Galaxy smartphones and tablets, enabling users to define custom behaviors based on triggers like time, location, or device state. Its deep integration with system components and privileged execution context make vulnerabilities in this feature particularly impactful for both consumers and enterprises.
Technical Information
CVE-2025-21058 is an improper access control vulnerability in the Samsung Routines application. The flaw resides in versions prior to 4.8.7.1 on Android 15 and 4.9.6.0 on Android 16. Due to insufficient authorization checks within the Routines component, a local attacker with access to the device can execute arbitrary code with SystemUI privileges. This privilege level allows broad control over system UI elements and access to sensitive resources beyond those available to normal applications.
The vulnerability is triggered when Routines exposes privileged operations to local processes without proper validation of the caller's identity or permissions. This breaks the intended security boundary between user applications and system-level components. The root cause is a lack of robust access control enforcement in the affected versions of Routines. No public code snippets or detailed technical exploitation flows are available as of the October 2025 disclosure.
The issue is resolved by introducing proper access control checks in Routines version 4.8.7.1 (Android 15) and 4.9.6.0 (Android 16).
Affected Systems and Versions
- Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 15 with Routines versions prior to 4.8.7.1
- Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 16 with Routines versions prior to 4.9.6.0
- All configurations where Samsung Routines is present and not updated to the fixed version
Vendor Security History
Samsung has addressed similar privilege escalation and access control issues in its custom Android components in the past. Notable examples include vulnerabilities in Galaxy Store and image parsing libraries, which were patched promptly after coordinated disclosure. Samsung maintains a monthly security update program and has demonstrated a consistent patch response time, especially for critical and high-severity vulnerabilities. The Samsung Knox platform adds additional layers of security, and the company actively collaborates with external researchers.
