CVE-2019-2073
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 libxaac there is a possible out of bounds write to missing bounds check. This could lead to remote code execution with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation. Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10Android ID: A-117100484
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 missing bounds check in libxaac (AAC audio decoder) allows an out-of-bounds write during media decoding. This can be exploited by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted media file, leading to remote code execution. The vulnerability exists in Android 10's media framework.
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= 10.0CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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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Verify Android version is 10.0Check system property 'ro.build.version.release' or Settings > About Phone > Android version. On command line: 'getprop ro.build.version.release'Affected if Version returns '10' or '10.0' - only Android 10 is affected, other versions are not vulnerable to this specific CVE
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Confirm libxaac library is presentCheck for libxaac in /system/lib/ or /vendor/lib/. On device: 'ls -la /system/lib/libxaac*' or 'find /system/lib -name libxaac*'Affected if libxaac library file exists - the vulnerability is in this specific AAC decoder library, absence of the library indicates not affected
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Identify if media decoding from untrusted sources is possibleCheck if apps can process media from external/SD card sources, or if user-facing media players/apps have access to untrusted files. Review app permissions for media handling applications.Affected if User-facing apps can open/play media files from untrusted sources (external storage, downloads, messaging apps) - exploitation requires user to open a crafted media file
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Check media framework patch levelOn Android, check 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to see the security patch date. Also check Settings > Security > Security update for the installed patch level.Affected if Security patch level is earlier than the vendor fix date for CVE-2019-2073 (typically May 2019 or later) - unpatched systems remain vulnerable
Environment is affected if running Android 10.0 with libxaac present and media processing from untrusted sources is enabled on an unpatched system.
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 the vendor patch for CVE-2019-2073 to Android 10 devices. Until patch availability, restrict media file processing from untrusted sources and keep systems updated.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,256.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-2073 — 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-2019-2073 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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