What the Recent Samsung Zero-Day Means for Wireless Threat Visibility
Introduction
Security researchers recently revealed that CVE-2025-21042, a critical vulnerability affecting multiple Samsung devices, allowed attackers to install the Landfall spyware, enabling them to gain complete control of targeted phones without requiring any user interaction. The exploit demonstrates how quickly a mobile device can shift from a trusted endpoint to an internal threat actor. Because mobile devices operate continuously across LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, a single compromise can create multiple high-impact risks within enterprise environments.
Bastille Networks views this event as a direct signal that enterprises must maintain active vigilance across the entire RF spectrum. Organizations that rely solely on endpoint agents or network telemetry leave a blind spot wherever wireless devices operate. This incident highlights why facilities must treat mobile devices as dynamic RF nodes rather than simply personal communication tools.
The Risk Researchers Identified
A Zero-Click Exploit Delivered Through a DNG File
Researchers reported that attackers used a malformed DNG image file to trigger an out-of-bounds write in Samsung’s image-processing library. Because many messaging applications automatically pre-process image metadata, the target did not need to open the file. The attacker only needed to deliver it.
Once the Landfall payload executed, it allowed attackers to secretly record conversations, track locations, and collect sensitive data without user interaction. The attacker gained complete device control, including:
- Access to all data stored on the device
- Ability to activate wireless interfaces
- Ability to install secondary payloads
- Ability to monitor or manipulate communications
- Ability to move inside facilities undetected as the device transmits RF signals normally
Affected Device Families
The vulnerability impacted several high-volume flagship models, including:
- Galaxy S23
- Galaxy S24
- Galaxy Z Fold4
- Galaxy S22
- Galaxy Z Flip4
Because enterprises often allow bring-your-own-device (BYOD) usage, many organizations unknowingly depend on the security posture of the user’s personal phone. A vulnerability like this exposes corporate facilities, labs, and sensitive production floors to threats originating within the wireless perimeter.
Why This Threat Extends Deep Into the RF Spectrum
Mobile Devices Operate as Multi-Protocol Wireless Endpoints
A compromised phone can interact with the environment across several simultaneous RF channels:
- LTE and 5G: Attackers can exfiltrate data or maintain persistent C2 channels that never traverse corporate networks.
- Wi-Fi: The device can attempt lateral movement across enterprise Wi-Fi or act as a rogue hotspot.
These transmissions occur independently of traditional network defenses. Firewalls, NAC, and EDR platforms do not see the data that devices send through cellular links. Only RF monitoring provides that visibility.
RF Activity Changes as the Device Becomes Malicious
Compromised devices often generate patterns that differ from normal user behavior:
- Unexpected LTE/5G uplink bursts inside restricted zones
- New or persistent Bluetooth activity despite enterprise policy
- Wi-Fi scanning attempts in secured areas
- Movement into sensitive spaces at unusual times
- Attempts to initiate peer-to-peer wireless sessions
These behaviors reveal compromise well before attackers succeed in their broader objectives.
How Bastille Strengthens Mobile-Device Security
Full-Spectrum Monitoring with Complete Passivity
Bastille monitors activity from 100 MHz to 6 GHz, with Wi-Fi visibility extending up to 7.125 GHz, and achieves this with 100% passive monitoring. Bastille provides awareness across cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and additional wireless protocols without transmitting signals or affecting nearby devices.
Key Capabilities That Address This Threat
Broad-Spectrum Device Detection
Bastille identifies every RF-emitting device inside a facility, whether authorized or unknown, giving security teams immediate visibility into:
- Phones transmitting unexpectedly
- Rogue hotspots
- Uncontrolled, undeclared, or unmanaged devices
- Data on activity across multiple protocols to help them identify elevated risks
Detailed Wireless Behavior Analytics
Bastille evaluates how each device interacts across wireless protocols and across physical zones. The platform provides users with the information to identify and analyze:
- Abnormal RF activity levels
- New communication attempts on previously unused protocols
- Movement patterns inconsistent with historical behavior
- Devices that linger in high-value areas longer than normal
- Sudden shifts in transmission behavior after a compromise
These detections enable early identification of high-risk mobile devices.
Location Awareness Through Patented Algorithms and Analysis
Bastille enables security teams to determine the accurate location of a device within a facility to within 1-3 meters. Analysts can trace movement through secure and semi-secure zones, reconstruct activity timelines, and correlate device presence with other incident indicators.
Operational Integration into SOC Workflows
Bastille exports wireless telemetry directly into security ecosystems, allowing analysts to correlate RF activity with identity, endpoint, and network signals. This capability expands visibility from the wired domain into the wireless environment, creating a unified operational picture.
Recommended Actions for Security Leaders
1. Patch Samsung Devices Immediately
Enterprises with corporate-managed Samsung devices should verify deployment of the April 2025 security update. Teams should also notify BYOD users and require proof of patching where policy allows.
2. Treat the RF Spectrum as a Primary Attack Surface
Modern attackers increasingly use wireless-connected mobile devices to bypass enterprise defenses. Teams should incorporate RF monitoring into their core security stack, rather than treating it as an optional add-on.
3. Build a Wireless Baseline for Mobile Behavior
Establish what “normal” looks like inside the enterprise’s facilities:
- Typical frequency usage
- Expected device counts per zone
- Normal device movement patterns
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi activity ranges
Baseline deviations often reveal compromises more quickly than traditional logs.
4. Route RF Alerts Into the SOC
SOC analysts should triage RF-based alerts alongside identity, endpoint, and network telemetry. RF-driven incidents often show early signs that other tools cannot detect.
5. Educate Staff About Mobile-Device Security
Provide guidance that emphasizes:
- Avoiding untrusted messaging services
- Limiting app permissions
- Keeping devices updated
- Avoiding high-risk physical areas with personal devices, where appropriate
6. Maintain an Accurate Inventory of All RF-Emitting Devices
Track every device operating in a wireless environment and enforce policy controls that prevent unverified phones from accessing sensitive spaces.
Conclusion
The Samsung zero-day incident demonstrates how attackers can exploit a mobile device to become an internal threat vector with a single malicious file. LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth activity from a compromised phone can create multiple entry points for attackers, and traditional network tools cannot observe this activity.
Bastille’s passive, broad-spectrum monitoring provides the visibility, behavioral analytics, and location context that organizations need to identify, track, and investigate wireless threats emanating from compromised mobile devices.
Contact Bastille to learn how it can manage the wireless attack surface and reduce operational risk from wireless threats.
