CVE-2023-20703
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 apu, there is a possible out of bounds read due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS07767853; Issue ID: ALPS07767853.
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 confidenceAn out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in the apu component due to a missing bounds check, allowing local information disclosure without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction.
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= 12.0= 13.0CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Android versionRun 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android versionAffected if Version equals 12.0 or 13.0 exactly (not a range, these specific versions)
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Verify apu component existsCheck for the apu daemon or service - look for files in /vendor/bin or /system/bin containing 'apu' (e.g., 'ls /vendor/bin/*apu*' or check /sys/kernel/debug/apu* if accessible)Affected if The apu component binary or driver is present on the device
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Identify apu component versionCheck apu driver version via 'cat /sys/class/misc/apu/version' or examine any version file under /sys/kernel/debug/apu/ if available, or check /vendor/lib/modules for apu kernel module versionAffected if The apu component version is unpatched (before ALPS07767853) or version cannot be determined and Android is 12.0/13.0
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Confirm apu kernel module loadedRun 'lsmod | grep apu' or check 'cat /proc/modules' for apu-related modules, also check 'dmesg | grep -i apu' for apu initialization messagesAffected if APU kernel module is loaded and running on Android 12.0 or 13.0
A device is affected if it runs Android 12.0 or 13.0 and has the apu component present and loaded, with an unpatched version lacking the ALPS07767853 bounds-check fix.
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.
dbcve · scopedApply the vendor patch (ALPS07767853) to the affected apu component to implement proper bounds checking and remediate the vulnerability.
- 1. Check for system software updates on the affected Android device (Settings > System > System Update)
- 2. If an update is available, apply it - this will include the MediaTek security patch ALPS07767853
- 3. If no update is available, contact the device manufacturer (OEM) to request the security patch containing ALPS07767853
- 4. Verify the installed security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android version (the fix should be included in Android security patch level >= September 2023 or the next available monthly security update)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-20703 — 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-2023-20703 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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