dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2020-0071

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-04-17
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
In rw_t2t_extract_default_locks_info of rw_t2t_ndef.cc, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to remote code execution over NFC with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-8.0 Android-8.1 Android-9 Android-10Android ID: A-147310721

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

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists in the NFC stack (rw_t2t_extract_default_locks_info function in rw_t2t_ndef.cc) due to a missing bounds check. This allows remote code execution over NFC without any user interaction or additional privileges.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for the applicable Android version. Users should ensure their devices receive and install the latest system updates containing the CVE-2020-0071 fix.

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:= 8.0= 8.1= 9.0= 10.0

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
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 checks

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

  1. Check installed Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shell
    Affected if Version equals 8.0, 8.1, 9.0, or 10.0 - these are the affected versions listed in the CVE
  2. Verify NFC is enabled
    Go to Settings > Network & Internet > NFC (or Settings > Connections > NFC on some devices), or check 'nfc_enabled' system property via 'getprop ro.nfc.enabled'
    Affected if NFC is turned ON - the vulnerability requires NFC to be active for exploitation
  3. Confirm NFC hardware is present
    Check for NFC in device specifications or attempt to read an NFC tag to verify hardware functionality
    Affected if Device has NFC hardware and it is functional - the flaw exists in the NFC stack software itself
  4. Check security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Build number (tap 7 times) > Back to About Phone > Android security patch level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADB
    Affected if Patch level is earlier than the date this CVE was fixed (the fix was included in Android security updates for the affected versions)

A device is affected if it runs Android 8.0, 8.1, 9.0, or 10.0, has NFC hardware enabled, and has not received the security update containing the CVE-2020-0071 fix.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the Android security patch for the applicable Android version. Users should ensure their devices receive and install the latest system updates containing the CVE-2020-0071 fix.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android 11 or later (or device vendor-specific update with March 2020 security patch)

  1. Check your device's current Android version in Settings > About Phone > Android version
  2. Check your device's current security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Security patch level
  3. If your device is running Android 8.0, 8.1, 9, or 10, upgrade to Android 11 or higher which contains the fix for this vulnerability
  4. If upgrading is not possible, ensure your device has the latest monthly security update installed - this vulnerability was addressed in the March 2020 Android Security Bulletin (Security Patch Level 2020-03-01 or later)
  5. Verify after update that the security patch level is March 2020 or later
Caveat Upgrading to a major Android version may cause incompatibility with apps or result in data loss; backup data before upgrading; some devices may not receive Android 11 upgrade depending on vendor support lifecycle

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,440
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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-2020-0071 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