dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-42499

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-24
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
In sms_SendMmCpErrMsg of sms_MmConManagement.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a heap buffer overflow. This could lead to remote code execution with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-242001391References: 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 · high confidence

Heap buffer overflow in sms_SendMmCpErrMsg function within sms_MmConManagement.c allows out-of-bounds write during SMS MM CP error message handling. The overflow occurs when writing error message data to a heap-allocated buffer without proper bounds checking, enabling an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory and achieve remote code execution with kernel-level privileges.

MitigationApply Android security patch level (SPL) that addresses A-242001391. Since this is a kernel-level vulnerability, no configuration workarounds exist—the fix requires code remediation in the SMS handling module and a kernel update via Android system updates.

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
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. Confirm the device is running Android
    Check the device OS - this vulnerability only affects Google Android. If the device runs a different OS (iOS, stock Linux, etc.), it is not affected.
    Affected if The device is running any version of Google Android.
  2. Check the Android Security Patch Level
    On Android, go to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level (or Settings > Security > Security Patch Level). Record the date shown.
    Affected if The Security Patch Level is earlier than the patch that addresses A-242001391 (the fix for this CVE). Since all Android versions are affected, any device without the corresponding fix is vulnerable.
  3. Verify SMS kernel module is present
    Check if the SMS-related kernel modules are loaded. On Android, this typically requires root access. You can try: 'ls /system/lib/modules/' or check /proc/modules for sms* entries. The vulnerability exists in the sms_MmConManagement.c module within the modem/baseband firmware.
    Affected if SMS functionality is enabled and the vulnerable SMS handling code exists in the kernel/modem firmware.

If the device runs Google Android and its Security Patch Level predates the fix for A-242001391, the device is vulnerable to this heap buffer overflow in the SMS MM CP error message handling.

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 Android security patch level (SPL) that addresses A-242001391. Since this is a kernel-level vulnerability, no configuration workarounds exist—the fix requires code remediation in the SMS handling module and a kernel update via Android system updates.

Recommended fix High confidence

December 2022 Android Security Patch Level (or later monthly update)

  1. Check your current Android Security Patch Level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. Update your device to the latest Android security update available from your device manufacturer
  3. For devices receiving regular updates, this vulnerability was patched in the December 2022 Android Security Patch Level or later
  4. If your device is no longer receiving security updates, consider upgrading to a supported device
Caveat Devices that no longer receive monthly security updates from manufacturers may need to be replaced; some older devices may not support the latest Android versions with this fix

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-2022-42499 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