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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-20840

MEDIUM · 6.5 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 →
65/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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 imgsys, there is a possible out of bounds read and write due to a missing valid range checking. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS07326430; Issue ID: ALPS07326430.

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 confidence

A missing valid range check in the imgsys component allows out of bounds read and write operations, which can be exploited for local privilege escalation. The attacker needs System execution privileges and user interaction to trigger the vulnerability.

MitigationApply patch ALPS07326430 from the vendor to implement proper range validation in the imgsys component. Until the patch is applied, limit exposure by restricting system access and user interaction with untrusted inputs.

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
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:= 6.1
YoctoApplication
Affected:= 4.0
Iot YoctoApplication
Affected:= 23.0
AndroidOperating system
Affected:= 11.0= 12.0

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
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/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 your kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' on the target system to identify the installed Linux kernel version
    Affected if The kernel version matches or falls within the affected range (e.g., 6.1 series)
  2. Identify the OS distribution and version
    Check the Yocto or Android version by reading /etc/os-release or system properties ('getprop ro.build.version.release' on Android)
    Affected if The OS version corresponds to Linuxfoundation Yocto 4.0, Mediatek IoT Yocto 23.0, Android 11.0, or Android 12.0
  3. Determine if the imgsys component is present
    Search for imgsys-related kernel modules, drivers, or firmware files on the system - common paths may include /lib/modules/*/kernel/drivers/media/platform/*imgsys* or check kernel config for CONFIG_IMGSYS or similar
    Affected if The imgsys component (image processing system driver/module) is loaded or compiled into the kernel on the affected system
  4. Verify system execution context
    Review which processes or services run with elevated privileges and check if untrusted local users have shell access via 'who' or 'w' commands
    Affected if Local users without proper privileges can interact with the system or trigger imgsys-related operations

A system is affected if it runs an affected kernel/OS version AND has the imgsys component present AND allows local users to trigger the vulnerable code path through user interaction.

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 patch ALPS07326430 from the vendor to implement proper range validation in the imgsys component. Until the patch is applied, limit exposure by restricting system access and user interaction with untrusted inputs.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Kernel 6.2 or later; Android SMR (Security Maintenance Release) containing ALPS07326430 patch

  1. 1. Check if your device uses a MediaTek chipset with imgsys (image processing subsystem)
  2. 2. Contact your device manufacturer or MediaTek for the specific security update containing patch ALPS07326430
  3. 3. For Android devices, apply the latest monthly security patch level that includes the fix for CVE-2023-20840
  4. 4. For Yocto-based systems, monitor for kernel updates that address this MediaTek imgsys vulnerability
  5. 5. Verify the fix was applied by checking the kernel version or security patch level
Caveat Kernel upgrades may introduce driver or API changes; test thoroughly on non-production systems first

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

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2023-20840 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