CVE-2023-20980
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 · uneditedIn btu_ble_ll_conn_param_upd_evt of btu_hcif.cc, there is a possible out of bounds read due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local information disclosure in the Bluetooth server with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-13Android ID: A-260230274
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 confidenceAn out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in the btu_ble_ll_conn_param_upd_evt handler in btu_hcif.cc within Android's Bluetooth stack. The handler lacks proper bounds validation when processing L2CAP connection parameter update events, allowing a local attacker with system privileges to read adjacent memory contents and potentially disclose sensitive information.
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= 13.0CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Android version is 13.0Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shellAffected if The version shows exactly 13.0 (not 12, 12L, 13.1, or 14)
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Confirm Bluetooth is enabledCheck Settings > Bluetooth, or run 'settings get global bluetooth_on' via ADB shellAffected if Bluetooth is turned on and actively maintaining connections - the vulnerable handler processes L2CAP connection parameter update events only during active BLE connections
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Check Android security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADB shellAffected if The patch level is earlier than May 2023 (the month the fix was released) - unpatched devices remain vulnerable
A user is affected if they are running Android 13.0 with Bluetooth enabled and a security patch level predating the CVE fix.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply a bounds check fix in the btu_ble_ll_conn_param_upd_evt function to validate array/index bounds before accessing connection parameter data. This requires modifying the Android Bluetooth stack code and rebuilding the system component.
Android 13 with latest Android Security Patch Level (any 2023 security update containing the fix for A-260230274)
- 1. Navigate to Settings > System > Security update on the affected Android 13 device
- 2. Check the current Android Security Patch level under "Google Security Patch Level"
- 3. If the patch level is earlier than the fix release, tap "Check for updates" or "Download and install"
- 4. Ensure the device connects to Wi-Fi and remains charging during the update process
- 5. After the update completes, verify the Security Patch Level has been updated to include the fix for A-260230274
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,096.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-20980 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-20980 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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