dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Samsung

CVE-2023-30699

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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
Out-of-bounds write vulnerability in parser_hvcC function of libsimba library prior to SMR Aug-2023 Release 1 allows code execution by remote attackers.

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 parser_hvcC function of the libsimba library in versions prior to SMR Aug-2023 Release 1. This parsing function, likely related to HEVC/H.265 video codec handling (hvcC box parsing), allows attackers to write data beyond allocated buffer boundaries, leading to memory corruption and potential remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate libsimba library to SMR Aug-2023 Release 1 or later to patch the vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict untrusted input sources from reaching the parser_hvcC function and implement input validation layers.

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
AndroidOperating system
Affected:= 11.0= 12.0= 13.0

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB
    Affected if Version is 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 on a Samsung device
  2. Locate libsimba library
    Search for libsimba.so on the device using 'find / -name libsimba.so 2>/dev/null' via ADB or check /vendor/lib64 or /system/lib64 directories
    Affected if The library file exists on the device
  3. Determine libsimba version
    Run 'strings libsimba.so | grep -i version' or check the library file metadata, or query Samsung SMR version via 'getprop ro.build.version.sepi'
    Affected if Version is prior to SMR Aug-2023 Release 1 or version cannot be determined and device is on older SMR
  4. Verify HEVC/H.265 codec support
    Check if the device supports HEVC/H.265 video encoding/decoding via Camera app settings, MediaCodec listings in 'adb shell dumpsys mediacodec', or vendor codec info
    Affected if HEVC/H.265 codec is available and the hvcC box parsing in libsimba would be invoked during media processing
  5. Confirm Samsung firmware
    Check Samsung software version via 'getprop ro.build.version.oneui' or check Settings > About Phone > Software information > Software version
    Affected if Firmware is older than the Aug-2023 SMR release

A Samsung Android device on versions 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 with libsimba library present and HEVC/H.265 codec support is likely affected if the firmware predates the August 2023 SMR release.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update libsimba library to SMR Aug-2023 Release 1 or later to patch the vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict untrusted input sources from reaching the parser_hvcC function and implement input validation layers.

Recommended fix High confidence

Samsung SMR Aug-2023 Release 1 or later

  1. Navigate to Settings on your Samsung Android device
  2. Go to 'Software update' or 'System updates'
  3. Tap 'Download and install' or 'Check for updates'
  4. Ensure the device updates to Samsung SMR (Security Maintenance Release) Aug-2023 Release 1 or later
  5. Verify the update was applied by checking Settings > About phone > Software information > Security patch level

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
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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-2023-30699 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data