CVE-2014-7920
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedmediaserver in Android 2.2 through 5.x before 5.1 allows attackers to gain privileges. NOTE: This is a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-7921.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidencePrivilege escalation vulnerability in the mediaserver component of Android OS versions 2.2 through 5.x (prior to 5.1). The vulnerability allows attackers to gain elevated privileges, likely through memory corruption or improper permission handling within the media processing service. The critical CVSS score of 9.8 indicates potential for remote code execution or complete device compromise.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 2.2= 2.2.1= 2.2.2= 2.2.3= 2.3= 2.3.1= 2.3.2= 2.3.3= 2.3.4= 2.3.5= 2.3.6= 2.3.7CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check Android versionNavigate to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or use ADB command: adb shell getprop ro.build.version.releaseAffected if Version is 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.3, 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.3, 2.3.4, 2.3.5, 2.3.6, 2.3.7, or any version from 3.x or 4.x up to but not including 5.1
-
Check Android SDK versionUse ADB command: adb shell getprop ro.build.version.sdkAffected if SDK version is below 22 (which corresponds to Android 5.1)
-
Confirm mediaserver component presenceUse ADB command: adb shell ps -A | grep mediaserverAffected if Mediaserver process is running (this is the vulnerable component)
The device is affected if it runs any Android version from 2.2 through 5.x prior to 5.1, as indicated by Android version or SDK version below 5.1.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedApply Android system updates to version 5.1 or later; implement mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce patch levels and ensure timely updates across the device fleet.
Android 5.1 or later (which contains the security fix for this vulnerability)
- 1. Identify the device model and check with the device manufacturer for available security updates
- 2. If the device manufacturer no longer supports Android 2.2.x, consider replacing the device with one receiving regular security patches
- 3. If replacement is not possible, minimize attack surface by disabling mediaserver-related features in Settings
- 4. Avoid installing applications from unknown sources
- 5. Monitor for any manufacturer-provided security patches that may address this vulnerability
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,776.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-7920 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-7920 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data