dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-20580

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-12-16
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 ufdt_do_one_fixup of ufdt_overlay.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to an incorrect bounds check. 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-243629453References: 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 kernel vulnerability in Android's Flattened Device Tree (FDT) overlay processing code. The ufdt_do_one_fixup function in ufdt_overlay.c contains an incorrect bounds check that could allow an out-of-bounds write. Exploitation requires System execution privileges and could lead to local privilege escalation.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for the applicable monthly security bulletin (A-243629453). This is a kernel-level vulnerability that requires patching the affected Android kernel code.

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. Check Android Security Patch Level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via adb shell
    Affected if The Security Patch Level is earlier than February 2023 (the patch for this CVE was in the February 2023 Android Security Bulletin)
  2. Verify FDT overlay support is enabled in kernel
    Check kernel config for CONFIG_OF_OVERLAY or check /sys/firmware/devicetree/ for overlay presence. Run 'ls /sys/firmware/devicetree/base/' and look for overlay files, or check /proc/config.gz if available
    Affected if FDT overlays are loaded or the overlay functionality is active on the device
  3. Confirm device uses flattened device tree
    Check for /boot/dtb or /boot/dtb* files, or run 'ls -la /sys/firmware/' to see if 'devicetree' is present
    Affected if The device uses FDT (Flattened Device Tree) for hardware description
  4. Check kernel version for patch status
    Run 'uname -a' or 'cat /proc/version' via adb shell to obtain the kernel version, then compare against the kernel version that includes the fix (typically kernel versions with the February 2023 Android security patches)
    Affected if The kernel version predates the February 2023 security patch and the device uses device tree overlays

A device is affected if it runs an Android version with a Security Patch Level before February 2023 AND uses FDT overlay functionality (device tree overlays are loaded or the kernel has CONFIG_OF_OVERLAY enabled).

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 security patch for the applicable monthly security bulletin (A-243629453). This is a kernel-level vulnerability that requires patching the affected Android kernel code.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android devices: Update to the latest Android system update containing the February 2023 Android Security Bulletin patch (or later). The specific patch is included in Android 12, 12L, 13, and later versions with the February 2023 security patch level.

  1. 1. Check your current Android security patch level by going to Settings > About Phone > Android version (or Settings > Security > Security patch level)
  2. 2. Obtain and install the latest Android system update for your device, which includes the fix for CVE-2022-20580
  3. 3. Verify the security patch level has been updated to include the February 2023 Android Security Bulletin or later (the bulletin containing this fix)
  4. 4. Confirm the update was applied successfully by re-checking the security patch level in Settings
Caveat Android updates typically include other changes; ensure device compatibility and backup data before updating. Some older devices may stop receiving monthly security patches.

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,800
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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-2022-20580 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