dbcve.org
Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-20850

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: ALPS07340433; Issue ID: ALPS07340381.

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

In imgsys_cmdq (image system command queue), a missing valid range check allows an out-of-bounds write. An attacker with System execution privileges and user interaction can exploit this to achieve local privilege escalation.

MitigationApply vendor patch ALPS07340433 to implement proper range validation in the imgsys_cmdq component.

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 the kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to get the installed kernel version
    Affected if The kernel version is exactly 6.1 (exact match required per CVEs)
  2. Identify the system-on-chip (SoC) vendor
    Check /sys/devices/soc0/soc_id, /sys/class/socinfo/soc_id, or run 'lscpu' to determine if the device uses a MediaTek SoC
    Affected if The system uses a MediaTek SoC that includes the imgsys_cmdq component
  3. Verify the imgsys_cmdq kernel module is loaded
    Run 'lsmod | grep cmdq' or check /sys/module/ for cmdq-related modules (such as mtk_cmdq, cmdq_core, or imgsys_cmdq)
    Affected if The imgsys_cmdq or related cmdq kernel module is present and loaded
  4. Confirm Android security patch level
    Check /system/build.prop for 'ro.build.version.security_patch' or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch'
    Affected if The device runs Android 11.0 or 12.0 and has not received the vendor patch ALPS07340433

A system is affected if it runs Linux Kernel 6.1 or Android 11.0/12.0 on a MediaTek SoC with the imgsys_cmdq component present and lacks the vendor patch ALPS07340433 for proper range validation.

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 to implement proper range validation in the imgsys_cmdq component.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,800
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,080.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-20850 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-20850 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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