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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2015-3876

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-10-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 5.1.1 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 through 5.1.1 LMY48M allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted metadata in a (1) MP3 or (2) MP4 file.

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, Android's media parsing framework, contains a memory corruption vulnerability in its MP3/MP4 metadata parsing logic. Attackers can trigger the flaw by embedding crafted metadata in media files, leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the media server process.

MitigationUpdate affected Android devices to a version newer than 5.1.1 LMY48M. Avoid opening media files from untrusted sources until the device is patched.

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:<= 5.1.1

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check Android version number
    Go to Settings > About Phone (or About Device) > Android version. Compare the displayed version to 5.1.1. If the version reads 5.1.1 or lower, the device falls within the affected range.
    Affected if Android version is 5.1.1 or any version below 5.1.1
  2. Verify build number for patch status
    In Settings > About Phone, note the Build number. Compare against known patched builds such as LMY48M or later for Android 5.1.1. If the build number is earlier than LMY48M (for 5.1.1 devices), the CVE may remain unpatched.
    Affected if Build number is earlier than LMY48M on Android 5.1.1, or build is from a version < 5.1.1 without subsequent security updates
  3. Confirm libstagefright component presence
    libstagefright is built into Android 5.1.1 and earlier as the core media parsing framework. The vulnerability exists in the MP3/MP4 metadata parsing code within this library. No manual check required - if running affected Android version, this component is present and vulnerable.
    Affected if Device runs Android 5.1.1 or earlier and processes media files using the built-in media framework
  4. Identify exposure to media attack vector
    The flaw is triggered when the device parses crafted metadata in MP3 or MP4 files. Check if the device handles media files from external or untrusted sources (downloaded files, messaging attachments, browser downloads). The media server process (mediaserver) handles this parsing automatically when any media file is opened.
    Affected if The device has the ability to open or automatically previews MP3/MP4 media files from any source

A device is affected if it runs Android version 5.1.1 or lower and has not received the LMY48M or later security update; the vulnerability is present in the libstagefright media parsing component used whenever MP3/MP4 metadata is processed.

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 5.1.1
Interim mitigation

Update affected Android devices to a version newer than 5.1.1 LMY48M. Avoid opening media files from untrusted sources until the device is patched.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or later, or Android 5.1.1 with September 2015 Security Patch Level

  1. Confirm current Android version by going to Settings > About Phone
  2. Back up important data to a computer or cloud storage
  3. Connect to Wi-Fi and ensure battery is sufficiently charged
  4. Go to Settings > About Phone > System Updates and check for updates
  5. If available, install Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or later which contains the patched libstagefright component
  6. Alternatively, ensure the device receives the September 2015 Android Security Patch Level (SPL) or later for Android 5.1.1
  7. After update, verify the fix by confirming the system shows the latest security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android security patch level
Caveat Upgrading to Android 6.0 may cause incompatibility with some apps designed for older Android versions; also, some devices may no longer receive official updates if they are older

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2015-3876 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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