dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-32836

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 display, there is a possible out of bounds write due to an integer overflow. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS08126725; Issue ID: ALPS08126725.

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 local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the MediaTek display subsystem where an integer overflow leads to an out-of-bounds write. The vulnerability requires System-level execution privileges to exploit but does not require user interaction. This is a kernel-level flaw in MediaTek's ALPS (Android Linux Patch) display component affecting Android devices with MediaTek chipsets.

MitigationApply the vendor patch (ALPS08126725) through device manufacturer firmware/security updates. This is a firmware-level fix that must be delivered via OTA updates from the device vendor.

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. Confirm MediaTek chipset usage
    Check device information under Settings > About Phone > Chipset or by running 'getprop ro.hardware' in a terminal
    Affected if The device does not use a MediaTek chipset (the vulnerability only affects MediaTek hardware)
  2. Check Android OS version
    Navigate to Settings > About Phone > Android version or use 'getprop ro.build.version.release'
    Affected if The Android version is 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 (these are the affected versions listed)
  3. Verify display kernel component
    Check for the presence of MediaTek ALPS display module by examining /proc/mtk_disp or searching kernel modules with 'lsmod | grep -i mtk' if root access is available
    Affected if The MediaTek display subsystem module (ALPS display component) is loaded and running on the device
  4. Determine privilege level available
    Check if you have System-level or root access via 'whoami' or by attempting to access /system/bin/sh with elevated context
    Affected if The attacker has System-level execution privileges (required by this vulnerability as stated in the summary)
  5. Check firmware patch level
    Review the Android Security Patch level under Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch'
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the vendor fix (ALPS08126725), indicating the vulnerability has not been patched

A device is affected if it runs Android 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 on a MediaTek chipset with the vulnerable ALPS display subsystem and the vendor patch ALPS08126725 has not been applied.

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 patch (ALPS08126725) through device manufacturer firmware/security updates. This is a firmware-level fix that must be delivered via OTA updates from the device vendor.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest Android Security Bulletin containing MediaTek patch ALPS08126725 (contact device OEM for specific version)

  1. Contact your Android device manufacturer (OEM) to obtain the latest security update that includes MediaTek patch ALPS08126725
  2. Verify that your device has the Android Security Patch Level that includes the fix for CVE-2023-32836
  3. Apply the security update through your device's system update mechanism

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,360
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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-2023-32836 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