A vulnerability in Samsung phones has been linked to a spyware attack that targeted users through malicious images sent via WhatsApp.
On Friday, a cybersecurity vendor published findings about CVE-2025-21042, a flaw that exploited a bug in an image processing library. Samsung patched it in April, but a commercial-grade spyware, dubbed “Landfall,” exploited the vulnerability for months starting in mid-2024 to target select users, according to Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 cybersecurity team.
“Landfall was embedded in malicious image files (DNG file format) that appear to have been sent via WhatsApp,” Unit 42 wrote in a report.
The team found Landfall spying on Samsung Galaxy devices—including the S22, S23, S24, Z Fold4, and Galaxy Z Flip 4 series—based in the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Morocco. After infecting the device, the spyware can record audio, access and collect data from photos, contacts, and call logs, among other capabilities.
Unit 42 also discovered signs that Landfall was able to infect phones without any interaction from the user, or what’s called a “zero-click” attack.
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Unit 42 uncovered the spyware attack by searching Google’s VirusTotal, a malware testing service, where users can upload suspected malicious programs. “Our search led to the discovery of several previously undetected DNG image files containing embedded Android spyware that were uploaded to VirusTotal throughout 2024 and early 2025,” the team added. The DNG samples were apparently labeled as .jpeg files.
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Unit 42 was only able to find some components of the spyware attack. As a result, it couldn’t attribute Landfall to a specific spyware vendor. Still, the investigation found the spyware shares some overlapping traits with a threat actor called “Stealth Falcon,” which previously targeted dissidents in the United Arab Emirates. In addition, Unit 42 noted the Landfall attack “closely resembles an exploit chain involving Apple and WhatsApp that drew attention in August 2025.”
Although Samsung owners are now protected from the threat, the company was informed of the danger in September 2024, but didn’t release a fix until April.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
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I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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