dbcve.org
Iot YoctoApplication · Mediatek

CVE-2023-20673

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-15
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 vcu, there is a possible memory corruption due to type confusion. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS07519103; Issue ID: ALPS07519103.

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

A type confusion vulnerability in MediaTek's VCU (video codec unit) allows memory corruption that can lead to local privilege escalation from System privileges. No user interaction is required for exploitation.

MitigationApply MediaTek patch ALPS07519103 to address the type confusion vulnerability in the VCU driver component.

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
Iot YoctoApplication
Affected:= 22.2
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. Confirm MediaTek chipset usage
    Check system information for MediaTek processor/chipset (e.g., via /proc/cpuinfo, getprop ro.hardware, or system settings > About Phone > SoC details)
    Affected if Device does not use a MediaTek chipset - the VCU vulnerability only affects MediaTek hardware
  2. Verify Android OS version
    Check Android version (Settings > About Phone > Android version or via 'getprop ro.build.version.release')
    Affected if Running Android 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 on a MediaTek device - these versions are listed as affected
  3. Verify Mediatek Iot Yocto version
    Check the Yocto OS version (typically via /etc/VERSION or 'cat /etc/os-release' for the build identifier)
    Affected if Running Mediatek Iot Yocto version 22.2 - this specific version is listed as affected
  4. Confirm VCU driver presence
    Check for VCU driver module loaded in kernel (e.g., 'lsmod | grep vcu' or check /proc/modules for vcu-related entries, or check /sys/module for vcu* directories)
    Affected if VCU driver is present and loaded - the vulnerability exists in the VCU driver component specifically

A user is affected if they are running on a MediaTek device with Android 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 (or Mediatek Iot Yocto 22.2) AND the VCU (video codec unit) driver is present in the system.

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 MediaTek patch ALPS07519103 to address the type confusion vulnerability in the VCU driver component.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest MediaTek security bulletin patch containing ALPS07519103 (typically a monthly security update released after the vulnerability)

  1. Check the MediaTek Security Bulletin for CVE-2023-20673 to confirm the specific patch release date
  2. Contact your device OEM or board manufacturer to obtain the security patch containing ALPS07519103
  3. Apply the latest MediaTek security update for your Android version (11.0, 12.0, or 13.0) or Yocto 22.2 image
  4. Verify the patch has been applied by checking the system security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  5. For IoT Yocto 22.2 devices, rebuild or update the system image with the patched MediaTek VCU driver
Caveat Standard security update risks - ensure backup of critical data before applying; minor driver compatibility issues possible but unlikely

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

Fix this in Iot Yocto Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,100
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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-2023-20673 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