CVE-2020-9531
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered on Xiaomi MIUI V11.0.5.0.QFAEUXM devices. In the Web resources of GetApps(com.xiaomi.mipicks), the parameters passed in are read and executed. After reading the resource files, relevant components open the link of the incoming URL. Although the URL is safe and can pass security detection, the data carried in the parameters are loaded and executed. An attacker can use NFC tools to get close enough to a user's unlocked phone to cause apps to be installed and information to be leaked. This is fixed on version: 2001122.
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 confidenceThe GetApps (com.xiaomi.mipicks) application on MIUI V11.0.5.0.QFAEUXM has an insecure parameter handling vulnerability where URL parameters are read and executed without proper sanitization. Although the URL itself passes security checks, data carried in parameters is loaded and executed by components that open the URL link. An attacker with NFC tools can exploit this on an unlocked device to install arbitrary apps and exfiltrate information.
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= 11.0.5.0.qfaeuxmCVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
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 MIUI firmware versionGo to Settings > About Phone > MIUI Version, or run 'adb shell getprop ro.miui.ui.version.name' via command lineAffected if The version listed is exactly 11.0.5.0.QFAEUXM (case-insensitive match)
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Verify GetApps application is installedCheck for the package com.xiaomi.mipicks via 'adb shell pm list packages | grep mipicks' or via Settings > Apps > GetAppsAffected if GetApps (com.xiaomi.mipicks) is present on the device
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Confirm NFC is enabledGo to Settings > Network & Internet > NFC (or Settings > Connections > NFC), or check via 'adb shell settings get secure nfc_enabled' returning '1'Affected if NFC is turned ON - this is required for the attack vector to work
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Assess device lock stateCheck if the device has a screen lock enabled (Settings > Security > Screen lock) and verify device is currently locked. On command line, check 'adb shell dumpsys window policy' for mScreenOnFully and debug infoAffected if Device has NO screen lock configured OR device is currently in an unlocked state - both conditions make exploitation feasible
You are affected if your MIUI firmware version is exactly 11.0.5.0.QFAEUXM AND GetApps is installed AND both NFC is enabled AND your device is unlocked (or lacks a screen lock).
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 dataUpdate GetApps to version 2001122 or later, which contains the vendor patch. Users should also ensure their devices are locked when in public and NFC is disabled when not in use to reduce attack surface.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-9531 — 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-2020-9531 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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- 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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