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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-32848

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-04
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; Issue ID: ALPS08163896.

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 trigger an out-of-bounds write. Since the vulnerable code runs with System privileges, successful exploitation enables local privilege escalation to System level without requiring user interaction.

MitigationApply the vendor patch ALPS08163896 to update the vdec component. As this is a MediaTek/ALPS video decoder vulnerability, this likely involves updating the device firmware or media framework packages.

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 device uses MediaTek chipset
    Check /proc/cpuinfo or use 'getprop ro.hardware' or 'getprop ro.chipname' to identify the SoC vendor. This vulnerability is in the ALPS (MediaTek) video decoder component.
    Affected if Device does not use a MediaTek chipset - the vulnerability is specific to MediaTek's ALPS vdec component
  2. Verify Android version is affected
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' to check the Android version. This vulnerability affects Android 11.0, 12.0, and 13.0 specifically.
    Affected if Android version is 11.0, 12.0, or 13.0 exactly - versions outside this range are not affected according to the advisory
  3. Check patch level
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to see the installed security patch level. Compare against the date of the ALPS08163896 patch.
    Affected if Security patch level is older than the patch addressing ALPS08163896 - indicates vulnerability is unpatched
  4. Identify vdec component presence
    Check for video decoder modules: look in /vendor/lib/ or /system/lib/ for files containing 'vdec' in the name, or check /proc/modules if the vdec module is loaded.
    Affected if vdec component is present and loaded - the vulnerability exists in this component

A user is affected if they have a MediaTek-based Android device (11.0, 12.0, or 13.0) that has not received the ALPS08163896 patch in its security update.

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 ALPS08163896 to update the vdec component. As this is a MediaTek/ALPS video decoder vulnerability, this likely involves updating the device firmware or media framework packages.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Install the latest Android Security Patch Level containing MediaTek patch ALPS08163896 (May 2023 security update or later). Contact your device manufacturer for specific version availability.

  1. 1. Identify if your Android device uses a MediaTek chipset. This vulnerability affects MediaTek-based devices.
  2. 2. Contact your device manufacturer or carrier to confirm if they have released a security update containing the MediaTek patch (Patch ID: ALPS08163896).
  3. 3. Navigate to Settings > Security on your Android device.
  4. 4. Check for and install any available system updates.
  5. 5. Ensure your device has the latest Android Security Patch Level (SPL) installed. For this CVE, look for SPL dates that include the fix (typically May 2023 or later security patches).
  6. 6. If no update is available from your manufacturer, consider upgrading to a device model that receives regular security updates, or wait for your manufacturer to release the patch.
Caveat No breaking changes expected; this is a security patch that should be applied. However, older devices may no longer receive 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
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,560
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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-2023-32848 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