CVE-2015-6609
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 · uneditedlibutils in Android before 5.1.1 LMY48X and 6.0 before 2015-11-01 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted audio file, aka internal bug 22953624.
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 libutils library in Android versions before 5.1.1 LMY48X and before the November 2015 security patch for Android 6.0. The flaw is triggered when processing a crafted audio file, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service.
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<= 5.1.0CVSS 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 version numberGo to Settings > About Phone (or About Device) > Android version. Alternatively, run `getprop ro.build.version.release` via ADB or terminal app.Affected if The version displayed is 5.1.0 or earlier (such as 5.0.x, 4.4.x, etc.)
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Confirm if Android 5.1.x is below the fixed buildIf the version shows 5.1.x, note the build ID. For Android 5.1.1, the specific fixed build is LMY48X. Check the Build number in Settings > About Phone > Build number.Affected if The build is LMY47V, LMY47X, or any 5.1.1 build other than LMY48X (or if the specific build cannot be verified as LMY48X)
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Check security patch level for Android 6.0 devicesIf running Android 6.0, go to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level. Alternatively, run `getprop ro.build.version.security_patch` via ADB or terminal app.Affected if The security patch level is empty, earlier than November 2015, or the date displayed is before 2015-11-01
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Verify libutils library presenceThe vulnerable libutils.so library is a system library present on all Android devices. On affected versions, it resides in /system/lib/ or /vendor/lib/. No additional feature needs to be enabled since the vulnerability is in the core library used by audio processing components.Affected if Running any affected Android version (5.1.0 or earlier, or 6.0 without November 2015 patch) means the library is vulnerable
A device is affected if it runs Android 5.1.0 or earlier, or Android 6.0 with a security patch level earlier than November 2015.
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 Android devices to version 5.1.1 (LMY48X) or later, or apply the November 2015 security patch for Android 6.0. Avoid opening audio files from untrusted sources.
Android 5.1.1 LMY48X or later (5.x branch); Android 6.0 with November 2015 security patch
- Upgrade to Android 5.1.1 LMY48X or later for Android 5.x devices
- For Android 6.0 devices, ensure the November 2015 security patch (or later) is applied
- Verify the security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $3,328.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-6609 — 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-2015-6609 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