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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-20074

MEDIUM · 6.6 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-04-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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 preloader (partition), there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege, for an attacker who has physical access to the device, with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS06183301; Issue ID: ALPS06183301.

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 MediaTek/ALPS vulnerability in the preloader (bootloader) component where a missing bounds check allows an out-of-bounds write operation when handling partition data. An attacker with physical access to the device can exploit this to escalate privileges locally, though user interaction is required for exploitation.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied firmware patch (ALPS06183301) from MediaTek/device OEMs. This is a bootloader-level fix requiring firmware update from the device vendor.

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= 12.0

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:P/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 checks

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

  1. Identify MediaTek chipset
    Check if the device uses a MediaTek processor. On Android, this can be done via 'Settings > About Phone > CPU' or by checking /proc/cpuinfo for MediaTek or MTK references.
    Affected if Device does not use a MediaTek chipset - the preloader component is MediaTek-specific and this CVE does not apply to other vendors.
  2. Confirm Android version
    Navigate to 'Settings > About Phone > Android version' or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB.
    Affected if Android version is NOT 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0 - only these specific versions listed in the affected products are vulnerable.
  3. Check bootloader/firmware version
    Use ADB command 'getprop ro.build.display.id' or check 'Settings > About Phone > Build number' to identify the firmware/build version. This helps determine if the ALPS06183301 patch has been applied.
    Affected if Unable to verify that the vendor patch ALPS06183301 has been applied to the bootloader/firmware.
  4. Verify preloader version if accessible
    Access the preloader version through recovery mode or by checking /proc/mtk_battery_cmd/coulometer if exposed. The preloader is the first-stage bootloader on MediaTek devices.
    Affected if Preloader version cannot be confirmed as patched or the device has not received a vendor firmware update.

The device is affected if it uses a MediaTek chipset, runs Android 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0, and has not received the vendor-supplied firmware patch (ALPS06183301) addressing this preloader bounds check vulnerability.

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-supplied firmware patch (ALPS06183301) from MediaTek/device OEMs. This is a bootloader-level fix requiring firmware update from the device vendor.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android Security Patch Level containing ALPS06183301 (contact OEM for specific version)

  1. 1. Check your Android device's current security patch level under Settings > Security > Security update
  2. 2. Go to Settings > System > Advanced > Software update (or similar, varies by device) to check for available updates
  3. 3. If no update is available, contact your device manufacturer (OEM) or carrier to request the security patch containing fix ALPS06183301
  4. 4. Ensure the device is running the latest available Android security patch level for your Android version (10, 11, or 12)

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,940
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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-2022-20074 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