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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2022-42524

HIGH · 7.5 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 →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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_GetTpUdlIe of sms_PduCodec.c, there is a possible out of bounds read due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to remote information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-243401445References: 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

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in the sms_GetTpUdlIe function within sms_PduCodec.c in the Android kernel's SMS PDU codec. The function lacks proper bounds checking when processing the User Data Length (UDL) information element, allowing an attacker to read beyond buffer boundaries. Since no user interaction is required and no execution privileges are needed, this can be exploited remotely to disclose sensitive memory contents.

MitigationApply the vendor patch for Android ID A-243401445 which adds proper bounds validation in the sms_GetTpUdlIe function to prevent out-of-bounds reads during SMS PDU parsing.

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
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADB
    Affected if The patch level is earlier than November 2022 or the CVE is not listed in the Android Security Bulletin for the installed patch level
  2. Verify SMS PDU codec is present
    Check if /system/lib/libsms_PduCodec.so or equivalent SMS codec library exists on the device. Run 'find /system -name *PduCodec*' via ADB
    Affected if The SMS PDU codec library exists (which is standard on all Android phones with telephony)
  3. Confirm telephony/RIL is enabled
    Check if the device has cellular telephony capability by reviewing build properties via 'getprop | grep -i telephony' or 'getprop | grep -i ril' via ADB
    Affected if Telephony/RIL components are present and active on the device
  4. Check kernel version for SMS support
    Run 'uname -a' or check /proc/version via ADB to identify the kernel version. Also check for sms_PduCodec.c in any kernel source if available
    Affected if The device runs a kernel that includes the sms_GetTpUdlIe function from sms_PduCodec.c (standard in Android kernels with SMS capability)

The device is affected if it runs Android with SMS telephony capability and the security patch level is before November 2022 (when the fix for A-243401445 was released), or if the CVE is not explicitly listed as fixed in the current Android Security Bulletin.

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 for Android ID A-243401445 which adds proper bounds validation in the sms_GetTpUdlIe function to prevent out-of-bounds reads during SMS PDU parsing.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest Android security patch level (contact device manufacturer for specific release containing fix for A-243401445)

  1. 1. Apply the latest Android security patch update for your device. Check Settings > Security > Security patch level to see your current patch level.
  2. 2. Go to Settings > System > System update (or Settings > About phone > Software update) and check for and install any available updates.
  3. 3. If your device manufacturer has released a specific patch for Android ID A-243401445, ensure you install that update.
  4. 4. For enterprise or managed devices, contact your device administrator or mobile device management (MDM) provider to ensure the latest security patches are deployed.
  5. 5. If your device is no longer receiving security updates, consider upgrading to a newer device model that receives active security support.

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,120
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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-2022-42524 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