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YoctoApplication · Linuxfoundation

CVE-2023-20829

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-04
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 gps, 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: ALPS08014144; Issue ID: ALPS08014148.

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 write vulnerability exists in the GPS component due to a missing bounds check. This allows a local attacker to escalate privileges to System level without any user interaction.

MitigationApply the vendor patch ALPS08014144 which adds the missing bounds check to prevent the out-of-bounds write. This is typically delivered through a firmware/ROM update from the device manufacturer.

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
YoctoApplication
Affected:= 2.6
Rdk BApplication
Affected:= 2022q3
AndroidOperating system
Affected:= 12.0= 13.0
OpenwrtOperating system
Affected:= 19.07.0= 21.02.0

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. Identify your device OS product and version
    Determine which of the affected products is running: Linuxfoundation Yocto, Rdkcentral Rdk B, Google Android, or Openwrt Openwrt. Use commands like 'cat /etc/os-release' for Linux-based systems, check system settings on Android, or review firmware documentation for RDK/OpenWRT devices.
    Affected if The product matches one of: Yocto 2.6, RDK B 2022q3, Android 12.0, Android 13.0, OpenWRT 19.07.0, or OpenWRT 21.02.0 exactly.
  2. Confirm the exact OS/firmware version
    Run 'cat /etc/yocto-release' for Yocto, check Android Settings > About Phone > Android version, or use 'cat /etc/openwrt_release' for OpenWRT. For RDK B, consult the device firmware information in the administrative interface or via 'cat /etc/os-release' if available.
    Affected if The installed version exactly matches 2.6 (Yocto), 2022q3 (RDK B), 12.0 or 13.0 (Android), 19.07.0 or 21.02.0 (OpenWRT).
  3. Determine if GPS component is present
    Check if GPS hardware and software stack exist on the device. On Android, verify GPS is available in Settings > Location. On Linux-based systems (Yocto/OpenWRT), check for gpsd daemon, NMEA receiver drivers, or GPS-related kernel modules using 'ls /dev/tty*' for serial GPS devices, 'ps aux | grep gps', or 'lsmod | grep gps'.
    Affected if The device has GPS hardware and associated software components (gpsd, NMEA drivers, location services) installed and available.
  4. Check if GPS service or location features are enabled
    Verify GPS/location services are active. On Android, ensure Location is turned on in settings. On embedded systems, check if gpsd is running ('systemctl status gpsd' or 'ps aux | grep gpsd'), and verify GPS kernel modules are loaded ('lsmod').
    Affected if GPS or location services are enabled and the gpsd daemon or location framework is actively running on the device.

You are affected if your device runs exactly one of the listed versions (Yocto 2.6, RDK B 2022q3, Android 12.0/13.0, or OpenWRT 19.07.0/21.02.0) AND has the GPS component present and enabled.

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 ALPS08014144 which adds the missing bounds check to prevent the out-of-bounds write. This is typically delivered through a firmware/ROM update from the device manufacturer.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Apply MediaTek security patch ALPS08014144 via vendor-provided system update; for Yocto upgrade to 2.7+, for Android use June 2023+ security patch level, for OpenWrt upgrade beyond 21.02.0, for RDK-B upgrade beyond 2022q3

  1. Contact MediaTek for the patched GPS driver version ALPS08014144
  2. For Android: Apply the latest MediaTek security patch level that includes ALPS08014144 (typically the June 2023 or later security update)
  3. For Yocto: Update to a Yocto release that includes the patched MediaTek GPS component (version 2.7 or later)
  4. For OpenWrt: Update to a version that incorporates the fixed MediaTek GPS driver
  5. For RDK-B: Update to a release after 2022q3 that includes the ALPS08014144 patch
  6. Reboot the device after applying the update
Caveat Verify hardware compatibility with updated GPS driver before deployment; some legacy MediaTek GPS configurations may require additional integration work

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

Fix this in Yocto Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing5.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $2,970
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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-2023-20829 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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