CVE-2022-20395
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 · uneditedIn checkAccess of MediaProvider.java, there is a possible file deletion due to a path traversal error. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-11 Android-12 Android-12L Android-13Android ID: A-221855295
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 confidenceA path traversal vulnerability exists in the checkAccess function of MediaProvider.java on Android devices. The flaw allows an attacker to manipulate file paths to delete arbitrary files outside the intended MediaProvider sandbox, enabling local privilege escalation without requiring additional execution privileges or 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= 11.0= 12.0= 12.1= 13.0CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Android OS versionOpen Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shellAffected if The version displayed is 11.0, 12.0, 12.1, or 13.0
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Check Android security patch levelNavigate to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADBAffected if The patch level is earlier than 2022-09-05 or is not set
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Verify MediaProvider is presentRun 'pm list packages | grep android.providers.media' in ADB shell, or check /system/priv-app/MediaProvider exists on the deviceAffected if The MediaProvider package is installed (which is default on affected Android versions)
A device is affected if it runs Android 11.0, 12.0, 12.1, or 13.0 and has a security patch level earlier than the September 2022 Android Security Bulletin.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply the Android security patch level for the affected Android versions (Android-11 through Android-13) which addresses the path traversal in MediaProvider. For enterprise deployments, ensure devices receive system updates containing the fix (September 2022 Android Security Bulletin or later).
Android 14 (or Android 13 with August 2022 security patch level)
- 1. Navigate to Settings on your Android device
- 2. Go to System > System Update (or Settings > About Phone > System Update)
- 3. Check for and install the latest Android security update
- 4. For full protection, upgrade to Android 14 or later which includes the complete fix for this vulnerability
- 5. Verify the security patch level is August 2022 or later by going to Settings > About Phone > Android Version and checking the Security patch level
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,640.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-20395 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-20395 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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
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