Archive · 12 Nov 2025
New Landfall Spyware Exploits Samsung Image Library Flaw
Imagine your phone has a special part that helps it understand pictures.
Bad guys found a secret way to trick this part by sending a special picture, like a puzzle, that messes it up.
When your phone tries to understand this tricky picture, the bad guys' spy software, called Landfall, sneaks onto your phone without you even having to touch anything!
Once it's in, the spy software can listen to your microphone, take your pictures, see who you call, and know where you are.
This happened to some Samsung phones, especially newer ones, before Samsung fixed the problem in April 2025.
It's like finding a hidden door in your house that only the bad guys knew about.
A new spyware family named Landfall has been identified, targeting Samsung Galaxy devices.
The spyware exploited a previously unknown flaw (CVE-2025-21042) in Samsung's image processing library.
Attackers could install Landfall via a single, specially crafted image file, requiring no user interaction (zero-click).
Once installed, Landfall could steal audio, photos, contacts, call logs, and location data.
Samsung patched the vulnerability in its April 2025 Security Maintenance Release.
- Who
- Attackers using Landfall spyware
- What
- Exploited a flaw in Samsung's image processing library to install spyware via crafted images.
- When
- Mid-2024 to early 2025, with a fix released in April 2025.
- Where
- Activity noted in parts of the Middle East.
- Why
- To conduct surveillance, likely targeting specific individuals.
- Spyware Name
- Landfall
- Vulnerability Exploited
- CVE-2025-21042 in Samsung's libimagecodec.quram.so
- Attack Vector
- Sending a specially crafted image file (DNG)
- Impact
- Zero-click installation, capture microphone audio, collect photos, contacts, call logs, track location
- Affected Devices
- Samsung Galaxy S22, S23, S24, Z series foldables running older Samsung firmware on Android 13, 14, or 15
- Patch Availability
- April 2025 Security Maintenance Release
- Campaign Timeline
- Mid-2024 to early 2025