dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-20021

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-01-04
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
70/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 Bluetooth, there is a possible application crash due to bluetooth does not properly handle the reception of multiple LMP_host_connection_req. This could lead to remote denial of service of bluetooth with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS06198513; Issue ID: ALPS06198513.

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 confidence

This is a Bluetooth stack vulnerability where the system fails to properly handle multiple LMP_host_connection_req (Link Management Protocol host connection request) messages. An attacker within Bluetooth range can send repeated LMP_host_connection_req packets to cause the Bluetooth application to crash, resulting in remote denial of service without requiring any user interaction or elevated privileges.

MitigationApply the vendor patch (ALPS06198513) to the affected Bluetooth implementation. Until patched, limit Bluetooth device exposure by disabling Bluetooth when not in use and avoiding pairing with untrusted devices in public areas.

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= 11.0

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 Android version
    Go to Settings > About phone > Android version and note the exact version number
    Affected if The version is exactly 10.0 or exactly 11.0
  2. Confirm Bluetooth is enabled
    Go to Settings > Bluetooth and verify the Bluetooth toggle is in the ON position
    Affected if Bluetooth is currently enabled on the device
  3. Check for recent Bluetooth crashes
    Open a terminal or ADB shell and run 'logcat -d | grep -i bluetooth' to search system logs for crash or fatal exception messages related to the Bluetooth process
    Affected if Log output shows repeated LMP_host_connection_req related crashes or Bluetooth app force closes
  4. Review Bluetooth pairing state
    Go to Settings > Bluetooth > Paired devices to see if the device has recently initiated or accepted pairing requests
    Affected if The device shows recent pairing activity that could indicate exploitation attempts

A device is affected if it runs Android exactly version 10.0 or 11.0, has Bluetooth enabled, and exhibits Bluetooth application crashes or force closes without other apparent causes.

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 vendor patch (ALPS06198513) to the affected Bluetooth implementation. Until patched, limit Bluetooth device exposure by disabling Bluetooth when not in use and avoiding pairing with untrusted devices in public areas.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android Security Patch Level February 2022 or later (or MediaTek firmware containing patch ALPS06198513)

  1. Check your Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. If the patch level is earlier than February 2022, apply the latest Android system update available for your device
  3. If no update is available from your device OEM, contact the device manufacturer or carrier for the specific MediaTek Bluetooth patch (ALPS06198513)
  4. Alternatively, ensure Bluetooth is disabled when not in use as a temporary mitigation

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-20021 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2022-20021 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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