CVE-2025-20999: 
NixOS vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-20999 is an improper authorization vulnerability in the Wi-Fi password storage mechanism of Samsung Galaxy Tablets, classified under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization). It allows secondary users with physical access to a device to view the device owner's saved Wi-Fi passwords without proper authorization. The vulnerability affects Samsung Android versions 13, 14, and 15 prior to the SMR Jul-2025 Release 1. It was published on July 8, 2025, with a patch released on July 14, 2025. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 2.1 (Low) per NVD, though ENISA's EUVD rates it at 4.1 (Medium) (Samsung Security, ENISA EUVD).

The root cause is CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) — the Galaxy Tablet's Wi-Fi settings component fails to enforce proper access controls between the device owner's profile and secondary user profiles. A secondary user with low-level privileges and physical access to the device can navigate to the Wi-Fi settings and retrieve the owner's saved network credentials without requiring owner-level authorization. The attack vector is physical (AV:P), requires low privileges (PR:L), and no user interaction from the owner, making it exploitable by any secondary account holder on a shared device (Samsung Security, ENISA EUVD).

Successful exploitation allows an unauthorized secondary user to read the device owner's saved Wi-Fi network credentials, resulting in a low confidentiality impact. There is no integrity or availability impact. While the direct impact is limited to credential disclosure, exposed Wi-Fi passwords could enable unauthorized network access, potentially facilitating further network-based reconnaissance or lateral movement within the owner's home or corporate network (Samsung Security, ENISA EUVD).

There is no public proof-of-concept exploit available, and no evidence of in-the-wild exploitation has been reported. The EPSS score is approximately 0.015% (0.000150), indicating a very low probability of exploitation in the near term. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Exploitation requires physical access to the device and an existing secondary user account, significantly limiting the attack surface (Samsung Security, ENISA EUVD).

1. Precondition: Obtain physical access to a Samsung Galaxy Tablet running Android 13, 14, or 15 prior to SMR Jul-2025 Release 1, with a secondary user account already configured on the device.
2. Switch to secondary user: On the lock screen or from the quick settings panel, switch to or log in as a secondary (non-owner) user account.
3. Navigate to Wi-Fi settings: Open the device Settings application and navigate to the Wi-Fi or Network settings section.
4. Access saved networks: Browse the list of saved Wi-Fi networks, which due to the improper authorization flaw, exposes the owner's saved network credentials (passwords) to the secondary user without proper access control enforcement.
5. Retrieve credentials: View or copy the plaintext or accessible Wi-Fi passwords, which can then be used to join the owner's Wi-Fi networks without authorization (Samsung Security).

Samsung has addressed this vulnerability in the SMR Jul-2025 Release 1 for Android versions 13, 14, and 15. Users should apply the July 2025 Samsung Security Monthly Release update as soon as it is available for their device. As interim workarounds, administrators and device owners should restrict physical device access to trusted individuals, regularly review and remove unnecessary secondary user accounts, and consider disabling secondary user accounts when not in use (Samsung Security).