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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-36844

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-09-09
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
A heap-based overflow vulnerability in HWR::EngJudgeModel::Construct() in libSDKRecognitionText.spensdk.samsung.so library prior to SMR Sep-2022 Release 1 allows attacker to cause memory access fault.

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

Heap-based buffer overflow in HWR::EngJudgeModel::Construct() in the Samsung S Pen SDK library (libSDKRecognitionText.spensdk.samsung.so) prior to SMR September 2022 Release 1 allows an attacker to cause memory access faults via crafted input.

MitigationUpdate affected Samsung devices to SMR Sep-2022 Release 1 or later which contains the patched libSDKRecognitionText.spensdk.samsung.so library.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB
    Affected if Version is 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0 - these are the affected versions listed in the CVE
  2. Identify if device is Samsung
    Run 'getprop ro.product.brand' via ADB or check Settings > About Phone > Manufacturer
    Affected if Device is a Samsung device - the vulnerable library is part of Samsung's S Pen SDK
  3. Locate the vulnerable S Pen SDK library
    Search for the file 'libSDKRecognitionText.spensdk.samsung.so' on the device - typically found in /system/lib64/ or /vendor/lib64/ directories. Use 'find / -name libSDKRecognitionText.spensdk.samsung.so 2>/dev/null' via ADB shell
    Affected if The library file exists on the device - this is the component containing the vulnerable HWR::EngJudgeModel::Construct function
  4. Check library file timestamp or version
    Use 'ls -la' on the library file path to check its modification date, or attempt to extract version info via 'strings' tool if available. Compare the build date to September 2022
    Affected if The library was built or modified prior to SMR September 2022 Release 1 - the CVE states versions prior to this release are vulnerable
  5. Verify S Pen input features are in use
    Check if the device has S Pen functionality enabled or if apps are using S Pen SDK - review installed apps or check S Pen settings in Samsung Notes or Air Command
    Affected if S Pen features are actively used - the heap overflow in HWR::EngJudgeModel::Construct() is triggered via crafted S Pen input

A Samsung Android device on version 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0 with the libSDKRecognitionText.spensdk.samsung.so library present and built before SMR September 2022 Release 1 is affected when S Pen functionality is 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

Update affected Samsung devices to SMR Sep-2022 Release 1 or later which contains the patched libSDKRecognitionText.spensdk.samsung.so library.

Recommended fix High confidence

SMR Sep-2022 Release 1 or later

  1. Verify the current Samsung device model and its Android version (10.0, 11.0, or 12.0)
  2. Check the current SMR (Samsung Monthly Release) patch level on the device by going to Settings > About Phone > Software Information > Security patch level
  3. If the security patch level is earlier than September 2022, initiate a system software update: Settings > Software Update > Download and Install
  4. Ensure the device updates to SMR Sep-2022 Release 1 or later which includes the fix for the heap-based buffer overflow in libSDKRecognitionText.spensdk.samsung.so
  5. After updating, verify the security patch level reflects September 2022 or later
Caveat Standard Samsung software update; ensure device has sufficient battery (>50%) and backup before updating

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,600
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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-2022-36844 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