CVE-2015-6601
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 22935234.
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 confidenceA memory corruption vulnerability exists in libstagefright, Android's media playback framework, present in versions prior to 5.1.1 LMY48T. The flaw allows remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution or cause denial of service by delivering a specially crafted media file, typically via MMS or malicious web content.
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 versionGo to Settings > About Phone (or About Device) > Android version. Note the version number displayed.Affected if Version is 5.1 (build LMY47V or earlier) or earlier.
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Check security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone (or About Device) > Security patch level. Note the date and build shown.Affected if Patch level is earlier than the LMY48T build (dated around July 2015) or not listed.
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Confirm libstagefright is in uselibstagefright is the default media playback framework in Android 5.1 and earlier. No manual check required; if the device plays media files, it uses this library.Affected if Device runs an affected Android version and supports media playback.
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Identify attack surface exposureReview whether the device has automatic MMS retrieval enabled (Messaging app > Settings > Auto-retrieve) or frequently browses websites with embedded media content.Affected if Automatic MMS retrieval is enabled or untrusted media files are commonly received or accessed.
Device is affected if running Android version 5.1 or earlier with a security patch level earlier than LMY48T, and the device uses libstagefright for media playback (which is the default in affected 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 security patch level 5.1.1 LMY48T or later which contains the fix for this libstagefright vulnerability; until patched, advise users to avoid opening media files from untrusted sources and consider disabling automatic MMS retrieval.
Android 5.1.1 LMY48T or later
- Check current Android version in Settings > About Phone > Android version
- If running Android 5.1 or earlier, update the device firmware to Android 5.1.1 LMY48T or later
- Apply any available system updates through Settings > About Phone > System Updates
- For devices that cannot receive official updates, consider replacing the device or using mobile security solutions that provide runtime protection against media-based exploits
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation12.0 h
- Implementation24.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $16,896.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-6601 — 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-2015-6601 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