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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-20848

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 read 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: ALPS07340433; Issue ID: ALPS07340433.

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

A missing valid range check in the imgsys_cmdq driver (image system command queue) allows an out-of-bounds read, which can be exploited for local privilege escalation. The attacker needs System execution privileges and user interaction to trigger the vulnerability.

MitigationApply vendor patch ALPS07340433 which adds proper boundary validation to prevent the out-of-bounds read condition in the imgsys_cmdq driver.

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 if imgsys_cmdq driver is present
    Search for the imgsys_cmdq driver module in the kernel or device: lsmod | grep cmdq or check /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers for cmdq-related files
    Affected if The driver file exists on the system - vulnerability is present if driver version matches affected kernel/OS versions
  2. Check Linux kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version' to determine the installed kernel version
    Affected if Kernel version equals 6.1 exactly (= means exact match per CVE notation)
  3. Check Linuxfoundation Yocto version
    Check /etc/yocto-release or 'cat /etc/os-release' for Yocto version information
    Affected if Yocto version equals 4.0 exactly
  4. Check Mediatek IoT Yocto version
    Check system for Mediatek IoT Yocto build version - typically in /etc/version or boot logs
    Affected if Mediatek IoT Yocto version equals 23.0 exactly
  5. Check Google Android version
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android version
    Affected if Android version equals 11.0 or 12.0 exactly
  6. Confirm driver is actively loaded or in use
    Check if imgsys_cmdq is loaded as a kernel module (lsmod) or compiled into kernel (check kernel config for CONFIG_IMGSYS_CMDQ)
    Affected if Driver is loaded and actively handling image system command queue operations - exploitation requires the driver to be enabled and accessible

User is affected if the imgsys_cmdq driver is present AND the system runs Linux Kernel 6.1, Linuxfoundation Yocto 4.0, Mediatek IoT Yocto 23.0, or Android 11.0/12.0 exactly, with the driver enabled and usable on the device.

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 ALPS07340433 which adds proper boundary validation to prevent the out-of-bounds read condition in the imgsys_cmdq driver.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,920
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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-2023-20848 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
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