CVE-2015-3835
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 · uneditedBuffer overflow in the OMXNodeInstance::emptyBuffer function in omx/OMXNodeInstance.cpp in libstagefright in Android before 5.1.1 LMY48I allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted application, aka internal bug 20634516.
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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in the OMXNodeInstance::emptyBuffer function in libstagefright's omx/OMXNodeInstance.cpp allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted malicious application on Android devices before version 5.1.1 LMY48I.
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
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/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 versionNavigate to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or execute 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shellAffected if Version is 5.1 or earlier, since version 5.1.1 LMY48I contains the patch
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Verify libstagefright is presentCheck for /system/lib/libstagefright.so on the device, or run 'ls -la /system/lib/libstagefright.so' via ADBAffected if libstagefright.so exists (this is the vulnerable component containing OMXNodeInstance::emptyBuffer)
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Confirm security patch levelRun 'getprop ro.build.version.incremental' via ADB to check the specific build variantAffected if Build does not contain LMY48I or later identifier
Device is affected if running Android 5.1 or earlier with libstagefright present, as the buffer overflow in OMXNodeInstance::emptyBuffer was patched only in Android 5.1.1 LMY48I and later builds
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 security update version 5.1.1 LMY48I or later to patch the libstagefright vulnerability, as the fix requires updating the system-level media framework component.
Android 5.1.1 LMY48I or later
- Upgrade the Android device to version 5.1.1 (build LMY48I) or later to address the libstagefright buffer overflow vulnerability
- Verify the update was applied by checking Settings > About Phone > Android version shows 5.1.1 or higher
- Ensure the build number is LMY48I or later (for 5.1.1 branch)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,136.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-3835 — 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-2015-3835 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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