dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-42520

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-12-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
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 ServiceInterface::HandleRequest of serviceinterface.cpp, there is a possible use after free. 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-242994270References: 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 · moderate confidence

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in ServiceInterface::HandleRequest in serviceinterface.cpp on Android. The vulnerability allows a local attacker with System execution privileges to escalate privileges further due to improper memory management where memory is accessed after being freed.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided security patch for Android that addresses the use-after-free in ServiceInterface::HandleRequest. Since System privileges are required, ensure least-privilege principles and restrict System-level access to minimize attack surface.

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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Android version and security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version and Build number (or use 'getprop ro.build.version.release' and 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADB)
    Affected if The device is running any Android version and the security patch level is earlier than the vendor patch date for CVE-2022-42520, or if the security patch level cannot be verified
  2. Confirm System privilege availability
    Verify if the device allows or exposes processes with System-level (UID 1000) execution privileges beyond standard app sandbox - this may be observable through installed apps with 'System' or 'Signature|System' permissions in manifest, or via 'dumpsys package' for privileged packages
    Affected if The attacker can execute code with System privileges (UID 1000) on the device
  3. Check for vulnerable serviceinterface component
    Inspect the serviceinterface.cpp library on the device - typically found in system framework components; use 'find /system -name serviceinterface*' or check framework JAR files for the ServiceInterface::HandleRequest symbol
    Affected if The ServiceInterface::HandleRequest component exists and is executable by System-privileged processes (this is true on default Android installations)
  4. Assess attack surface for System privilege escalation
    Review installed apps with System privileges using 'dumpsys package -s' or check for apps holding the 'android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW' or signature/system permissions that could leverage this vulnerability
    Affected if Any malicious or compromised app with System-level access exists on the device

If the device runs Android (any version) and has not received the vendor security patch for CVE-2022-42520, and any process can obtain System execution privileges, the environment is affected by this use-after-free vulnerability in ServiceInterface::HandleRequest.

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-provided security patch for Android that addresses the use-after-free in ServiceInterface::HandleRequest. Since System privileges are required, ensure least-privilege principles and restrict System-level access to minimize attack surface.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android November 2022 Security Bulletin (Security Patch Level 2022-11-01 or later)

  1. Apply the Android security update for November 2022 (security patch level 2022-11-01) or later to the affected Android device
  2. Verify the security patch level by navigating to Settings > About Phone > Android version or Settings > Security > Security patch level
  3. Ensure the update is obtained from the device manufacturer's official OTA channels
Caveat Updating to the latest security patch may have compatibility implications with older applications; verify critical apps function normally after the update

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing16.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
48.0 hours of engineering $8,320
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2022-42520 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