CVE-2015-3828
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 · uneditedThe MPEG4Extractor::parse3GPPMetaData function in MPEG4Extractor.cpp in libstagefright in Android before 5.1.1 LMY48I does not enforce a minimum size for UTF-16 strings containing a Byte Order Mark (BOM), which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (integer underflow and memory corruption) via crafted 3GPP metadata, aka internal bug 20923261, a related issue to CVE-2015-3826.
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 · high confidenceInteger underflow vulnerability in libstagefright's MPEG4Extractor::parse3GPPMetaData function fails to enforce minimum size validation for UTF-16 strings containing a Byte Order Mark (BOM). Crafted 3GPP metadata triggers integer underflow leading to heap memory corruption, allowing remote code execution or denial of service.
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<= 5.1CVSS 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
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
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.
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Check Android OS versionGo to Settings > About Phone (or About Device) > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADBAffected if Version is 5.1 or lower (5.1, 5.0, 4.x, etc.)
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Verify libstagefright library is presentRun 'ls /system/lib/libstagefright.so' via ADB shell, or check for stagefright media server processes via 'ps | grep stagefright'Affected if The libstagefright library exists on the device (it is present on all Android versions up to 5.1)
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Confirm 3GPP media processing capabilityCheck if the device can handle 3GPP files by examining installed media codecs or running 'media dump' commands; the vulnerability triggers when parsing 3GPP metadataAffected if The device processes 3GPP media files (most Android devices do by default)
A device is affected if it runs Android version 5.1 or lower and contains the vulnerable libstagefright library processing 3GPP metadata, which applies to most default Android installations in those versions.
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 update 5.1.1 LMY48I or later which contains the patched libstagefright library; prior versions remain vulnerable.
Android 5.1.1 LMY48I or later
- Identify all Android devices running version 5.1 or earlier in your organization
- Verify device eligibility for Android 5.1.1 LMY48I or later updates from the device manufacturer
- Push Over-the-Air (OTA) updates to upgrade affected devices to Android 5.1.1 (LMY48I) or the latest available stable version
- Alternatively, verify that device manufacturers have released security patches that address CVE-2015-3828 and CVE-2015-3826
- For devices that cannot receive updates, consider replacing them or implementing network-level filtering to block malicious 3GPP media files
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-3828 — 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-2015-3828 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
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- 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
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