dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-20231

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-09-14
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
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 smc_intc_request_fiq of arm_gic.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to improper input validation. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-211485702References: 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 · moderate confidence

A vulnerability exists in the smc_intc_request_fiq function within arm_gic.c (ARM Generic Interrupt Controller) where improper input validation allows an out-of-bounds write. This enables local privilege escalation from System execution privileges, requiring no user interaction.

MitigationKernel-level patch required to add proper input validation in smc_intc_request_fiq to prevent out-of-bounds memory writes. Apply Android kernel security updates addressing this GIC FIQ handler vulnerability.

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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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 platform
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.sdk' or 'uname -a' to verify the device is running Android
    Affected if The device is not running Android - this vulnerability only affects Android systems
  2. Identify kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or check '/proc/version' to obtain the kernel version string
    Affected if Kernel version predates the security patch date for this CVE (all versions listed as affected, no patch date available in provided data)
  3. Verify ARM GIC FIQ handler is present
    Check kernel configuration via '/proc/config.gz' (if available) or search kernel image for 'smc_intc_request_fiq' symbol using 'grep smc_intc_request_fiq /proc/kallsyms'
    Affected if The 'smc_intc_request_fiq' symbol exists in the running kernel, indicating the vulnerable code path is present
  4. Confirm FIQ handling is enabled
    Check kernel cmdline in '/proc/cmdline' for FIQ-related parameters or verify GIC interrupt controller is in use via '/proc/interrupts' looking for GIC entries
    Affected if FIQ (Fast Interrupt Request) handling is enabled and the ARM Generic Interrupt Controller (GIC) is active - required for the vulnerable code path to be reachable

A user is affected if running Android on a kernel that contains the smc_intc_request_fiq function in the ARM GIC driver with FIQ handling enabled, and the kernel lacks the vendor-specific security patch for this input validation flaw.

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

Kernel-level patch required to add proper input validation in smc_intc_request_fiq to prevent out-of-bounds memory writes. Apply Android kernel security updates addressing this GIC FIQ handler vulnerability.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest Android security patch level (check Android Security Bulletin for specific release containing fix A-211485702)

  1. Apply the latest Android security patch update for your device. Check Settings > Security > Security update for available updates.
  2. If your device manufacturer provides kernel updates, ensure the latest kernel patch that addresses the smc_intc_request_fiq vulnerability in arm_gic.c is applied.
  3. Verify the fix is applied by confirming your device is running a kernel version that includes the bounds checking fix for the FIQ handler input validation.
  4. For enterprise/managed devices, ensure Mobile Device Management (MDM) policies enforce regular security patch updates.
Caveat Ensure compatibility with device-specific kernel requirements before manual updates; standard monthly security patches contain no breaking changes for end users

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 / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2022-20231 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