CVE-2015-9020
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 · uneditedIn all Android releases from CAF using the Linux kernel, an untrusted pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the unlocking of memory.
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 · moderate confidenceAn untrusted pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the memory unlocking functionality of the Linux kernel used in Android releases from CAF (Code Aurora Forum). This type of vulnerability could allow an attacker to potentially access or corrupt memory by dereferencing a pointer that has not been properly validated, leading to potential denial of service or code execution.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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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Confirm the device runs Google AndroidIdentify if the target system is a Google Android device or if the Android OS is in use. This vulnerability specifically affects Android devices using kernels from CAF (Code Aurora Forum).Affected if The device runs any version of Google Android OS on hardware using CAF-sourced Linux kernel components.
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Identify the kernel version and sourceRetrieve the kernel version information using 'uname -a' or by checking /proc/version. Determine if the kernel is sourced from CAF (Code Aurora Forum) as opposed to upstream mainline or other sources.Affected if The kernel version originates from CAF and contains the memory unlocking functionality with the untrusted pointer dereference flaw.
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Verify the memory unlocking module is presentCheck for the presence of the kernel memory management or unlocking subsystem modules. Look for kernel configuration options related to memory unlocking or the relevant kernel subsystem that handles memory unlock operations.Affected if The memory unlocking functionality exists in the kernel and the vulnerable code path is present in the build.
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Check for security patch levelReview the Android security patch level by checking the system settings under 'About phone' > 'Android security patch level' or by retrieving build information via 'getprop' commands.Affected if The device security patch level predates the CVE-2015-9020 fix, indicating the vulnerable code is still present.
A user is affected if their Android device uses a CAF-sourced kernel with the vulnerable memory unlocking code and has not received the corresponding security update that addresses this untrusted pointer dereference flaw.
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.
From vendor dataApply available kernel patches from CAF and device manufacturers for affected Android releases. As this is a kernel-level vulnerability affecting memory handling, users should ensure their devices receive official security updates.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-9020 — 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-2015-9020 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
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