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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-20841

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 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: ALPS07326455; Issue ID: ALPS07326441.

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

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists in the imgsys component due to missing valid range checking. This allows a local attacker with existing System execution privileges to escalate privileges to a higher level. Successful exploitation requires user interaction.

MitigationApply vendor patch ALPS07326455 which adds proper range validation to prevent the out-of-bounds write in imgsys. Since the vulnerability requires System-level access and user interaction, prioritize patch deployment and restrict System-level access where possible.

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. Identify the running Linux kernel version
    Run `uname -r` or check `/proc/version` to determine if the kernel is version 6.1
    Affected if Kernel version is exactly 6.1 and the system uses MediaTek hardware with the imgsys component
  2. Verify the Linux Foundation Yocto version
    Check the Yocto release file (typically `/etc/lsb-release` or run `cat /etc/os-release`)
    Affected if Yocto version is exactly 4.0 and the system contains MediaTek imgsys component
  3. Verify the Mediatek IoT Yocto version
    Check the Mediatek-specific Yocto build version via `/etc/version` or boot logs
    Affected if Mediatek IoT Yocto version is exactly 23.0 with imgsys enabled
  4. Check Android version on MediaTek devices
    Run `getprop ro.build.version.release` or check Settings > About Phone > Android version
    Affected if Android version is 11.0 or 12.0 on a MediaTek-based device with imgsys component present
  5. Confirm presence of imgsys component
    Check for imgsys kernel module or driver by running `lsmod | grep imgsys` or checking `/sys/module/` for imgsys-related entries
    Affected if The imgsys component is loaded or present on the system

A system is affected if it runs any of the specified versions (Linux Kernel 6.1, Yocto 4.0, Mediatek IoT Yocto 23.0, Android 11.0/12.0) AND contains the MediaTek imgsys component, with the attacker already having System-level execution privileges.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply vendor patch ALPS07326455 which adds proper range validation to prevent the out-of-bounds write in imgsys. Since the vulnerability requires System-level access and user interaction, prioritize patch deployment and restrict System-level access where possible.

Fix this in Linux Kernel 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-2023-20841 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
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