dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-26096

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-04-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
Null pointer dereference vulnerability in parser_ispe function in libsimba library prior to SMR Apr-2022 Release 1 allows out of bounds write by remote attacker.

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 null pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the parser_ispe function of the libsimba library prior to the SMR Apr-2022 Release 1. This flaw allows a remote attacker to perform an out of bounds write operation, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpdate the libsimba library to SMR Apr-2022 Release 1 or later to incorporate the security fix. If updating is not immediately possible, restrict network exposure and validate all parser inputs to mitigate exploitation risk.

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:= 10.0= 11.0= 12.0

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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. Verify Android OS version
    Check the device Settings > About Phone > Android version to confirm it is 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0
    Affected if The Android version matches 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0 and the security patch level is earlier than the SMR Apr-2022 Release
  2. Check security patch level
    Navigate to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level and note the date shown
    Affected if The security patch level predates the April 2022 Android security update
  3. Identify libsimba library presence
    Search the filesystem for the libsimba library file (typically named libsimba.so or similar) using a file explorer or adb shell command: find / -name '*simba*'
    Affected if The libsimba library file exists on the device and was shipped with the affected Android versions
  4. Determine library version
    If the library is found, attempt to extract version metadata using tools like strings, readelf, or library metadata viewers: adb shell dumpsys package <package_using_libsimba>
    Affected if The library version cannot be determined or is documented as prior to the SMR Apr-2022 Release 1 update
  5. Review parser input handling
    Audit any applications or services that utilize the parser_ispe function by reviewing network-facing input paths that feed into the libsimba parser
    Affected if The parser_ispe function processes unvalidated or untrusted input from network sources, as this function contains the null pointer dereference flaw

A device is likely affected if it runs Android 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0 with a security patch level before the April 2022 update and contains the libsimba library processing external input through the parser_ispe function.

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

Update the libsimba library to SMR Apr-2022 Release 1 or later to incorporate the security fix. If updating is not immediately possible, restrict network exposure and validate all parser inputs to mitigate exploitation risk.

Recommended fix High confidence

SMR Apr-2022 Release 1 (or later)

  1. Check your Samsung device model number in Settings > About phone
  2. Navigate to Settings > Security & privacy > Samsung Security update level
  3. Verify the device has received SMR Apr-2022 Release 1 or later security patch
  4. If not updated, check for system updates: Settings > Software update > Download and install
  5. Apply any available Samsung security updates

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,760
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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-2022-26096 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