CVE-2022-42501
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 · uneditedIn HexString2Value of util.cpp, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-241231403References: 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 confidenceA missing bounds check in the HexString2Value function in util.cpp allows an out-of-bounds write when converting hex strings to values. This buffer overflow can be exploited locally to escalate privileges to System level, requiring the attacker to already have some code execution capability.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the Android kernel versionRun 'cat /proc/version' or check in Settings > About Phone > Kernel VersionAffected if The kernel version is older than when the fix was applied (no specific version known, all versions initially affected)
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Check Android security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch'Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the November 2022 Android security update that contains the fix
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Verify the HexString2Value function in util.cppExamine the kernel source code for util.cpp and locate the HexString2Value function - check if bounds validation exists before the write operationAffected if The function lacks proper bounds checking before writing to the buffer, allowing out-of-bounds access
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Confirm privilege escalation path availabilityAssess whether code execution capability exists on the device (required prerequisite per CVE description)Affected if Attacker already has some code execution, enabling exploitation of this buffer overflow for System-level privilege escalation
A user is affected if their Android device runs a kernel version prior to the November 2022 security update without the bounds check fix in the HexString2Value function in util.cpp, and an attacker already has some code execution capability on the device.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor dataApply a kernel patch that adds proper bounds validation in the HexString2Value function to ensure the write operation stays within buffer limits. Android system updates containing the security patch will address this vulnerability.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,656.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-42501 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-42501 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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