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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-20842

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_cmdq, 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: ALPS07354259; Issue ID: ALPS07340477.

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_cmdq (image system command queue) component allows an out-of-bounds write. This occurs in MediaTek's imaging subsystem driver, where improper boundary validation when processing command queue buffers permits memory corruption. Successful exploitation requires the attacker to have System execution privileges and involve user interaction.

MitigationApply the vendor patch (ALPS07354259) which adds proper boundary/range checking to the cmdq buffer handling logic. This is a firmware-level fix requiring a system update from the device OEM.

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 MediaTek hardware with imaging subsystem
    Check system information for MediaTek SoC (System on Chip) presence. On Linux, run: 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' or 'lspci' and look for MediaTek entries, or check 'dmesg' for imgsys or cmdq related kernel messages.
    Affected if System uses a MediaTek SoC with imaging subsystem (imgsys) component
  2. Verify kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' to check the kernel version. Compare against the affected version 6.1.
    Affected if Kernel version is exactly 6.1 (note: = means 6.1 specifically, not a range)
  3. Check for imgsys_cmdq driver presence
    Look for the imgsys_cmdq kernel module or driver. Run 'lsmod' to list loaded modules and search for 'cmdq' or 'imgsys', or check '/sys/module/' directory for cmdq-related modules.
    Affected if The imgsys_cmdq or cmdq module is loaded and present in the kernel
  4. Check Android/Yocto system version
    For Android, check 'ro.build.version.release' via 'getprop ro.build.version.release'. For Yocto, check '/etc/os-release' or 'cat /etc/版本' if applicable.
    Affected if System runs Android 11.0, Android 12.0, Yocto 4.0, or Mediatek IoT Yocto 23.0 exactly
  5. Verify firmware version
    Check the MediaTek firmware version for the imaging subsystem. This typically requires access to /vendor/firmware or checking via 'cat /proc/cmdq_version' if available, or inspecting vendor-specific diagnostic interfaces.
    Affected if Firmware version predates patch ALPS07354259 (firmware-level fix not applied)

A system is affected if it uses MediaTek hardware with the imgsys_cmdq component, runs kernel version 6.1 (Linux) or Android/Yocto versions 11.0/12.0/4.0/23.0, and lacks the ALPS07354259 firmware patch.

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 the vendor patch (ALPS07354259) which adds proper boundary/range checking to the cmdq buffer handling logic. This is a firmware-level fix requiring a system update from the device OEM.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,580
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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-2023-20842 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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