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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-20592

MEDIUM · 5.5 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 →
57/100
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_validate_secbuf of drm_fw.c, there is a possible information disclosure due to improper input validation. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-238976908References: 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

This is a local information disclosure vulnerability in the Android kernel's DRM (Digital Rights Management) firmware code. The function ppmp_validate_secbuf in drm_fw.c contains improper input validation that could allow a local attacker to access sensitive information from memory without elevated privileges. No user interaction is required for exploitation.

MitigationThis kernel-level vulnerability requires a patch from the Android/kernel vendor to add proper input validation (bounds checking, buffer pointer verification) in the ppmp_validate_secbuf function. Organizations should apply available kernel security updates once released.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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. Confirm Android environment
    Run 'uname -a' or check /proc/version to verify the system is running a Linux kernel built for Android
    Affected if System is not running an Android kernel (e.g., generic Linux, other OS)
  2. Identify kernel version
    Run 'cat /proc/version' or 'uname -r' to obtain the installed kernel version string
    Affected if Kernel version predates the security patch date for CVE-2022-20592 (check Android Security Bulletin for your Android version)
  3. Check if DRM subsystem is present
    Look for kernel module files related to DRM: ls /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/ or check /proc/modules for loaded drm modules
    Affected if DRM kernel module is loaded or loadable (vulnerable code path exists)
  4. Verify vulnerable function presence
    Check kernel source or binary for the function 'ppmp_validate_secbuf' in drm_fw.c. On device: strings /proc/kallsyms 2>/dev/null | grep -i ppmp_validate_secbuf
    Affected if The function ppmp_validate_secbuf exists in the running kernel without bounds checking protection

The device is affected if running an unpatched Android kernel version where the DRM firmware function ppmp_validate_secbuf lacks proper input validation, regardless of whether DRM 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

This kernel-level vulnerability requires a patch from the Android/kernel vendor to add proper input validation (bounds checking, buffer pointer verification) in the ppmp_validate_secbuf function. Organizations should apply available kernel security updates once released.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest Android security patch level (monthly update containing fix for A-238976908)

  1. Check your Android device's current security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. Go to source.android.com/security/bulletin to identify which Android Security Bulletin contains the fix for A-238976908
  3. Apply the monthly Android security update that includes the fix for this CVE (typically the bulletin that mentions this vulnerability)
  4. After updating, verify the security patch level has advanced past the bulletin release date containing this fix
Caveat Standard Android monthly security update - should not break applications but may include other cumulative fixes

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-2022-20592 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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