# CVE-2023-42537: Memory corruption in Samsung Mobile Devices

> Local attackers can exploit improper input validation in Samsung mobile devices to cause out-of-bounds memory access, potentially leading to code execution or privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p2fr-977j-hppc

## What is CVE-2023-42537?

CVE-2023-42537 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Samsung Android, published on 7 Nov 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An improper input validation in get_head_crc in libsaped prior to SMR Nov-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to cause out-of-bounds read and write.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-42537?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Samsung Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-42537?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-42537 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-42537 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-42537 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Samsung Android

- [CVE-2025-21042](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21042/): Samsung Mobile Devices Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-21043](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21043/): Samsung Mobile Devices Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-25487](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25487/): Samsung Mobile Devices Out-of-Bounds Read (high 7.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-25394](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25394/): Samsung Mobile Devices Race Condition (medium 6.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-25395](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25395/): Samsung Mobile Devices Race Condition (medium 6.4, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-42537 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-42537 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Samsung Android, published on 7 Nov 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-42537 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Samsung Android. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42537/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42537/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-42537
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-42537
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-42537

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42537/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.