dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-20209

HIGH · 7.5 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 →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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 hme_add_new_node_to_a_sorted_array of hme_utils.c, there is a possible out of bounds read due to a heap buffer overflow. This could lead to remote information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-12LAndroid ID: A-207502397

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

A heap buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the hme_add_new_node_to_a_sorted_array function in hme_utils.c. The function does not properly validate array bounds when adding new nodes, causing an out-of-bounds read that can leak heap memory contents to remote attackers without requiring any user interaction or elevated privileges.

MitigationApply the Android-12L security patch (likely from the corresponding Android Security Bulletin) to address the heap buffer overflow in hme_utils.c. Ensure affected devices receive the latest system updates.

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:= 12.1

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
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version (or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shell) and verify if the version is exactly 12.1
    Affected if The installed Android version is 12.1 (exact match)
  2. Check for hme_utils.c component
    Search the system for the presence of hme_utils.c or any library/framework that contains this file (run 'find / -name hme_utils.c 2>/dev/null' or check system framework directories via ADB)
    Affected if The hme_utils.c file exists in the Android system image
  3. Verify vulnerable function exists
    Inspect the hme_utils.c file (if found) or any library containing it and confirm the hme_add_new_node_to_a_sorted_array function is present (use 'grep hme_add_new_node_to_a_sorted_array' on the file or library)
    Affected if The hme_add_new_node_to_a_sorted_array function exists in the installed component
  4. Check if affected component is enabled
    Determine if the feature or service that uses hme_utils.c is actively running or exposed on the device (check system services, logs, or running processes that reference hme_utils)
    Affected if The component using hme_add_new_node_to_a_sorted_array is actively loaded or running on the device

A device is affected if it runs exactly Android 12.1 and contains the vulnerable hme_utils.c component with the hme_add_new_node_to_a_sorted_array function that is actively in use.

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 Android-12L security patch (likely from the corresponding Android Security Bulletin) to address the heap buffer overflow in hme_utils.c. Ensure affected devices receive the latest system updates.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 13 or later (includes fix for A-207502397)

  1. 1. Navigate to Settings > System > System Update on the Android device
  2. 2. Check for and install any available system updates
  3. 3. Ensure the device receives the latest Android security patch level
  4. 4. Verify the update was successfully applied by checking the Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android version
Caveat App compatibility testing recommended as some apps may have behavior changes on newer Android versions

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $3,020
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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-2022-20209 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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