dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-20612

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-06
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 ril, 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. Patch ID: ALPS07629571; Issue ID: ALPS07629571.

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

In the Android RIL (Radio Interface Layer), there is a missing bounds check that allows an out of bounds write. This can be exploited locally to escalate privileges to System level without user interaction, as the vulnerability exists in the low-level telephony subsystem that handles communication between the Android framework and the radio hardware.

MitigationApply the vendor patch (ALPS07629571) to the RIL component to add proper bounds checking before memory writes. This is a system-level component update typically delivered through monthly Android security bulletins.

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:= 11.0= 12.0= 13.0

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
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. Check Android version
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android version
    Affected if The version is exactly 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 (note: other versions are not affected)
  2. Verify telephony/RIL component is present
    Check if the device has cellular capability by looking for the 'ril' or 'radio' processes: run 'ps -A | grep -i rild' or check for telephony-related services in 'getprop' output like 'ril.gsm.signal', 'gsm.network.type', etc.
    Affected if The device has an active RIL daemon (rild) running, which is typical for phones with cellular modems; devices without cellular capability (WiFi-only tablets) are not affected
  3. Check security patch level
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to see the installed Android security patch date
    Affected if The patch level is earlier than the date when ALPS07629571 was released (the fix was distributed through monthly Android security bulletins)
  4. Verify RIL component version if accessible
    If available, check the RIL library version or vendor-specific radio firmware version using 'getprop | grep -i ril' or 'getprop | grep -i radio'
    Affected if The RIL component version predates the fix or shows an older baseband version without the bounds check patch

A device is affected if it runs Android 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 with cellular/RIL capability and has a security patch level predating the vendor fix ALPS07629571.

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 (ALPS07629571) to the RIL component to add proper bounds checking before memory writes. This is a system-level component update typically delivered through monthly Android security bulletins.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android security patch level incorporating MediaTek ALPS07629571 (contact device manufacturer for specific version)

  1. Wait for the next Android security update from your device manufacturer that includes MediaTek patch ALPS07629571
  2. Once available, apply the Android security update through your device's system settings under Settings > System > Security Update
  3. Verify the patch was applied by checking the Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android version

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
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,120
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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-2023-20612 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