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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2015-3871

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-10-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 5.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
libstagefright 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 23031033.

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 confidence

libstagefright in Android contains a memory corruption vulnerability in media parsing code that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via a crafted media file. The vulnerability (internal bug 23031033) affects Android versions prior to 5.1.1 LMY48T.

MitigationUpdate Android devices to version 5.1.1 LMY48T or later to patch the libstagefright vulnerability. For devices that cannot receive official updates, consider network-level filtering of untrusted media content or device replacement.

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
AndroidOperating system
Affected:<= 5.1

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the operating system
    Check if the target device runs Android OS. On Linux/Unix systems, check /etc/os-release or uname -a. On mobile devices, check Settings > About Phone > Android version.
    Affected if The device is not running Android OS - this CVE does not apply.
  2. Determine the Android version
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shell, or check Settings > About Phone > Android version on the device.
    Affected if The installed version is Android 5.1 or earlier (versions prior to 5.1.1 LMY48T).
  3. Verify libstagefright is present
    Check for the libstagefright library file existence. Run 'ls -l /system/lib/libstagefright.so' via ADB shell, or locate the library in the system partition.
    Affected if The libstagefright library exists on the device - the vulnerable component is present.
  4. Confirm the build date or OTA identifier (optional)
    Run 'getprop ro.build.id' or 'getprop ro.build.display.id' via ADB shell to check the specific build. The patch version is LMY48T or later.
    Affected if The build is earlier than LMY48T, indicating an unpatched version.

The device is affected if it runs Android 5.1 or earlier AND contains the libstagefright library (standard in affected versions), as the memory corruption flaw in media parsing can be triggered by a crafted media file.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 5.1
Interim mitigation

Update Android devices to version 5.1.1 LMY48T or later to patch the libstagefright vulnerability. For devices that cannot receive official updates, consider network-level filtering of untrusted media content or device replacement.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 5.1.1 LMY48T or later (preferably the latest available Android version with security patches)

  1. Verify the current Android version by going to Settings > About Phone > Android version
  2. If the device is running Android 5.1 or earlier, check if the device manufacturer has released Android 5.1.1 LMY48T or a later security patch level for this device
  3. If a carrier-managed device, contact the mobile carrier for the available update
  4. If an unlocked or Google Play edition device, check for updates via Settings > About Phone > System updates or Settings > About Phone > Software updates
  5. If no update is available from the manufacturer or carrier, consider replacing the device with one that receives regular security updates
  6. Ensure auto-updates are enabled in the Google Play Store for apps, and check periodically for system updates
Caveat Upgrading from Android 5.1 to 5.1.1 is a minor point release and should not introduce breaking changes; however, some legacy apps may not be compatible with newer Android versions

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-3871 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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