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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-20583

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 ppmp_unprotect_mfcfw_buf of drm_fw.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to improper input validation. This could lead to local escalation of privilege in S-EL1 with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-234859169References: 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 local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Android kernel's DRM firmware code (drm_fw.c) within the ppmp_unprotect_mfcfw_buf function. The vulnerability is caused by improper input validation leading to an out-of-bounds write, allowing an attacker with S-EL1 (Secure EL1) execution privileges to escalate to System execution privileges. No user interaction is required.

MitigationApply the Android kernel security patch for the relevant Android version. Update to the latest Android security patch level to receive the fix for this vulnerability in the DRM firmware handling 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 and note the date. The fix for CVE-2022-20583 was released in the Android security patch dated January 2023 or later.
    Affected if The Security Patch Level is earlier than January 2023, meaning the device has not received the fix for this DRM firmware vulnerability.
  2. Verify Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version and note the version number.
    Affected if The Android version has not received the January 2023 or later security update, as all versions of Google Android were affected prior to the fix.
  3. Check for vulnerable DRM firmware component
    Inspect the kernel or firmware image for the presence of drm_fw.c and the function ppmp_unprotect_mfcfw_buf. This requires access to the device's kernel source or firmware binary.
    Affected if The device runs a kernel or firmware that includes the vulnerable drm_fw.c file with the ppmp_unprotect_mfcfw_buf function, which handles DRM firmware buffer operations.
  4. Confirm execution context requirement
    This vulnerability requires an attacker to already have S-EL1 (Secure EL1) execution privileges. Verify if any untrusted applications or services with elevated TrustZone privileges exist on the device.
    Affected if The device allows code execution at the S-EL1 (Secure EL1) privilege level, which is a prerequisite for exploiting this privilege escalation to System.

A device is affected if it has not received the January 2023 or later Android security patch, runs a kernel containing the vulnerable drm_fw.c ppmp_unprotect_mfcfw_buf function, and permits code execution at the S-EL1 privilege level.

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 kernel security patch for the relevant Android version. Update to the latest Android security patch level to receive the fix for this vulnerability in the DRM firmware handling code.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android December 2022 security patch level (or later)

  1. Check your device's current Android version and kernel version using Settings > About Phone
  2. Check the Android Security Bulletin for December 2022 (the month CVE-2022-20583 was addressed) for patch level information
  3. Upgrade your device to the December 2022 Android security patch level or later
  4. Verify the update was applied by checking Settings > About Phone > Android security patch level should show December 2022 or later
  5. If your device manufacturer has not released an update containing this fix, consider upgrading to a device that receives regular security updates or contact your device vendor for timeline information
Caveat Some older devices may no longer receive monthly security updates; verify with your device manufacturer that they have released this specific patch

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,480
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2022-20583 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