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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2020-0086

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-03-15
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 readCString of Parcel.cpp, there is a possible out of bounds write due to an integer overflow. This could lead to arbitrary code execution if IntSan were not enabled, which it is by default. No additional execution privileges are required. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Product: Android Versions: Android-10 Android ID: A-131859347

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

Integer overflow in the readCString function of Parcel.cpp in Android-10 can cause an out-of-bounds write, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is mitigated by IntSan (Integer Sanitizer), which is enabled by default, preventing exploitation in standard builds.

MitigationEnsure IntSan remains enabled in production builds and apply Android security patches for Android-10 as they become available. No direct code changes are typically needed by device manufacturers if IntSan is not disabled.

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:= 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. Identify Android version
    Check the device or build system for the Android version (Settings > About Phone on device, or version metadata in build environment)
    Affected if The version is Android 10.0 specifically
  2. Locate the affected component
    Identify if the Parcel.cpp library or any component derived from AOSP Android-10 is present in your build (check source tree or compiled libraries)
    Affected if The Parcel.cpp from Android-10 is included in your environment
  3. Check IntSan build configuration
    Review your Android build configuration files (Android.mk, BoardConfig.mk, or device-specific config) for flags controlling Integer Sanitizer, such as 'INT_SANITIZER' or 'SANITIZE_INTEGER' - verify whether IntSan was explicitly disabled
    Affected if IntSan was disabled (set to false/disabled) in your build configuration for the affected component

You are affected if you are running or shipping Android 10.0 and IntSan was disabled in your build configuration for the Parcel.cpp component, as this removes the primary mitigation against the integer overflow.

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

Ensure IntSan remains enabled in production builds and apply Android security patches for Android-10 as they become available. No direct code changes are typically needed by device manufacturers if IntSan is not disabled.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 11 or later, or ensure security patch level is March 2020 or newer

  1. 1. Check the current Android version and security patch level on the affected device in Settings > About Phone > Android version and Build number
  2. 2. Navigate to Settings > System > System Update (or Settings > Security) to check for available updates
  3. 3. If an update is available, download and install the latest Android security patch update. For CVE-2020-0086, ensure the security patch level is March 2020 or later
  4. 4. After updating, verify the fix was applied by confirming the security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android security patch level shows March 2020 or newer
  5. 5. Alternatively, if the device manufacturer provides firmware updates, flash the latest factory image that includes the March 2020 security patch
Caveat Upgrading Android major versions may cause incompatibility with apps or settings; back up data before upgrading

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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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-2020-0086 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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