dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-32638

MEDIUM · 6.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
66/100
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 isp, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a race condition. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS07494449; Issue ID: ALPS07494449.

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 race condition in MediaTek's ISP (Image Signal Processor) driver allows an out-of-bounds write, potentially enabling local privilege escalation from System privileges. The vulnerability stems from improper synchronization in the ISP component, where concurrent access to shared memory can cause a buffer overflow.

MitigationApply the vendor patch ALPS07494449 to the MediaTek ISP driver. Ensure System-level privileges are restricted and monitor for any local privilege escalation attempts.

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:= 11.0= 12.0= 13.0

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
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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. Verify Android version is affected
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android version. The device must be running Android 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 exactly.
    Affected if Android version is 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0
  2. Confirm MediaTek chipset is present
    Run 'getprop ro.hardware' or check /proc/cpuinfo for MediaTek or MTK identifiers. This vulnerability exists only in MediaTek ISP drivers.
    Affected if Device uses a MediaTek SoC (System-on-Chip)
  3. Locate MediaTek ISP driver module
    Check for ISP driver kernel module: run 'ls -la /vendor/lib/modules/' or 'find /vendor -iname *isp*' and look for MediaTek ISP-related driver files.
    Affected if MediaTek ISP driver module exists on the device
  4. Check ISP driver version if available
    If the ISP module is found, attempt 'modinfo <isp_module_name>' or check /sys/module/<isp_module_name>/version to compare against the patched version.
    Affected if ISP driver version is earlier than the patched version (ALPS07494449)

A device is affected if it runs Android 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 on MediaTek hardware with a vulnerable MediaTek ISP driver present and unpatched.

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 vendor patch ALPS07494449 to the MediaTek ISP driver. Ensure System-level privileges are restricted and monitor for any local privilege escalation attempts.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android Security Patch Level September 2022 or later (containing MediaTek patch ALPS07494449)

  1. 1. Check if the device uses a MediaTek chipset by reviewing the device specifications or using a system information app
  2. 2. Contact the device manufacturer or check for available OTA (Over-The-Air) updates that include the Android Security Patch Level for September 2022 or later
  3. 3. Apply the available system update which should contain Patch ID ALPS07494449 addressing the ISP race condition vulnerability
  4. 4. Verify the update was applied successfully by checking Settings > About Phone > Software Information > Android Security Patch Level (should show September 2022 or later)
Caveat Standard Android update risks apply - ensure backups of important data before applying system updates

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
34.0 hours of engineering $5,940
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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-2022-32638 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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