CVE-2015-3868
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 · uneditedlibstagefright in Android before 5.1.1 LMY48T allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted media file, aka internal bug 23270724.
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 confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in libstagefright (Android's media processing framework) allows remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution via a specially crafted media file. The flaw exists in versions before Android 5.1.1 LMY48T and is classified as a critical remote code execution vector.
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 installed Android versionOpen Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release'Affected if Version is 5.1 or lower (5.1, 5.0, 4.x, etc.)
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Check build numberOpen Settings > About Phone > Build number, or run 'adb shell getprop ro.build.display.id'Affected if Build identifier is earlier than LMY48T (for 5.1 branch) or does not contain a 5.1.1 update level
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Confirm libstagefright is presentThe libstagefright library is a core Android media component at /system/lib/libstagefright.so. Verify it exists via 'adb shell ls -l /system/lib/libstagefright.so' or equivalent file managerAffected if The library file exists (it is present by default on all affected Android versions)
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Determine media auto-fetch statusCheck if the device automatically downloads or previews media from MMS, browser, or messaging apps. Review Settings > Security > Verify apps and Settings > Data usage for unusual patternsAffected if Auto-fetch of media from untrusted sources is enabled (this is the default and increases exposure to remote attack)
A device is affected if it runs Android 5.1 or earlier and contains the libstagefright library, regardless of configuration.
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 · scopedUpdate affected Android devices to version 5.1.1 LMY48T or later to patch the libstagefright library. Consider disabling auto-fetching of media files from untrusted sources as an interim control.
Android 5.1.1 LMY48T or later
- Update the Android device to version 5.1.1 LMY48T or later via Settings > About Phone > System Updates
- Ensure automatic updates are enabled for future security patches
- For enterprise environments, deploy the update through mobile device management (MDM) tools
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-3868 — 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-2015-3868 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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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