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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-32818

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-06
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
In vdec, there is a possible out of bounds write due to type confusion. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS08163896 & ALPS08013430; Issue ID: ALPS07867715.

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 type confusion vulnerability in the vdec (video decoder) component allows an attacker to write out of bounds, leading to local privilege escalation to System level. No user interaction is required for exploitation. The vulnerability stems from improper type handling during video decoding operations.

MitigationApply the vendor patches (ALPS08163896 and ALPS08013430) to address the type confusion in vdec. Since this is a local privilege escalation with System privileges, prioritize patching systems with elevated risk exposure.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' in a terminal or check Settings > About Phone > Android version
    Affected if The version shows 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 - these are the affected versions listed for this CVE
  2. Confirm vdec component presence
    Check if the video decoder (vdec) module is present on the device. This can be done by examining /system/vendor/lib/libvdec.so or similar vdec-related libraries in /system/vendor or searching for 'vdec' in /proc/kallsyms if root access is available
    Affected if The vdec component exists on the device - the vulnerability resides in this specific video decoder module
  3. Check for vendor-specific vdec
    MediaTek-based devices often include vdec in /vendor or /system/vendor partitions. Run 'ls /vendor/lib*/*vdec*' or 'find /system/vendor -name *vdec*' to locate the component
    Affected if vdec libraries or binaries are found - the type confusion flaw exists within this component on affected Android versions
  4. Identify system privilege context
    Review which processes or services run with System-level privileges and utilize video decoding. Check running services via 'dumpsys' or examine media.codec processes
    Affected if Video decoder processes run with System privileges - the vulnerability allows escalation to System level from the context where vdec executes

If the device runs Android 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 AND contains the vdec video decoder component (common on MediaTek-based Android devices), the environment is vulnerable to local privilege escalation via the type confusion flaw in vdec.

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

Apply the vendor patches (ALPS08163896 and ALPS08013430) to address the type confusion in vdec. Since this is a local privilege escalation with System privileges, prioritize patching systems with elevated risk exposure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android 14 or later system update with June 2023 Security Patch Level or higher that includes MediaTek fixes

  1. 1. Check the device manufacturer's Android security update level in Settings > About Phone > Software Info > Security Patch Level
  2. 2. Verify if the device has received the Android Security Bulletin patch that includes CVE-2023-32818 - typically the June 2023 or later Security Patch Level
  3. 3. If not patched, contact the device manufacturer (OEM) for the firmware update containing MediaTek patch ALPS08163896 and ALPS08013430
  4. 4. Apply the manufacturer-provided system update that includes the MediaTek vdec fix
  5. 5. Verify the security patch level has been updated to include the fix for this vulnerability
Caveat Ensure device compatibility with the OEM firmware update before applying; some older MediaTek devices may not receive further updates

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
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2023-32818 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data