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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-20156

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-06-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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 unflatten of GraphicBuffer.cpp, there is a possible arbitrary code execution due to improper input validation. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-212803946References: N/A

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

This is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Android kernel's GraphicBuffer.cpp, specifically in the unflatten function. Improper input validation during buffer deserialization could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability requires no user interaction and targets the kernel's graphics buffer handling infrastructure.

MitigationApply the latest Android kernel security updates (Android Security Bulletin). Organizations should prioritize patching affected Android devices as the vulnerability allows local privilege escalation without user interaction.

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:all versions

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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. Confirm Android OS is running
    Check system properties or /system/build.prop for 'ro.build.id' or 'ro.product.model' to verify the device runs Android
    Affected if The device is confirmed to be running any Android OS version
  2. Identify kernel version
    Run 'uname -a' or check /proc/version to retrieve the kernel version string
    Affected if Any kernel version is returned - according to the advisory, all Android versions are affected
  3. Verify GraphicBuffer kernel module is present
    Check for /dev/graphics/fb0 or search for 'GraphicBuffer' in kernel symbols via /proc/kallsyms (requires root)
    Affected if The GraphicBuffer component exists in the kernel, indicating the vulnerable code path is present
  4. Confirm graphics buffer handling is active
    Check if /system/lib64/libgui.so or similar graphics libraries exist and are loaded (ls -la /system/lib*/libgui.so)
    Affected if The Android graphics buffer subsystem is enabled and used by the device

If the device runs any version of Android with the GraphicBuffer kernel component present, it is affected by this privilege escalation vulnerability and should receive the latest kernel security patches.

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 latest Android kernel security updates (Android Security Bulletin). Organizations should prioritize patching affected Android devices as the vulnerability allows local privilege escalation without user interaction.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android July 2022 Security Patch Level (or later)

  1. 1. Check your Android device's current security patch level by going to Settings > About Phone > Android version > Security patch level
  2. 2. Verify if your device manufacturer has released the July 2022 Android Security Patch Level (or later) for your device
  3. 3. If a security update is available, download and install it via Settings > System > Software Update > Check for updates
  4. 4. If no update is available from your device manufacturer, consider upgrading to a newer device model that receives current security patches
  5. 5. As a temporary mitigation, minimize exposure by avoiding untrusted apps and keeping SELinux in Enforcing mode
Caveat Some older devices may not receive this security update; legacy devices may need to be replaced

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
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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-2022-20156 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