CVE-2019-20550

Vulnerability

In Samsung mobile devices running O(8.x) software, specifically models released in China and India, the S Secure application can bypass the lock screen security of another locked app. The issue was reported as Samsung ID SVE-2019-13805 (October 2019) and is tracked as CVE-2019-20550 [1]. Affected versions include devices with O(8.x) firmware.

Exploitation

An attacker with physical access to a device where S Secure is installed can exploit this by launching S Secure and then accessing the content of a previously locked app without providing the correct password or authentication. No elevated network privileges or additional authentication is required beyond physical access to the device.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows an unauthorized user to view the contents of a locked application, leading to disclosure of sensitive information that the user intended to protect with the app lock feature. The attacker gains the same level of access to the locked app’s data as the legitimate user would have after unlocking it, resulting in a breach of confidentiality.

Mitigation

Samsung has not publicly released a specific patch or fixed version for this issue in the available references [1]. Affected users should check the Samsung Mobile Security update page for future updates. If no official fix is released, users may consider using alternative app-locking solutions or updating to a newer Android version if available.