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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-48412

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-08
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
57/100
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 private_handle_t of mali_gralloc_buffer.h, there is a possible information leak due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

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 logic error in the private_handle_t structure of the ARM Mali gralloc buffer management (mali_gralloc_buffer.h) allows local information disclosure. The flaw appears to be in how buffer handles are processed, potentially exposing sensitive memory contents to unprivileged local users without requiring user interaction.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch for the Mali GPU driver/gralloc module; if unavailable, review and correct the logic flow in private_handle_t handling to ensure proper bounds checking and data isolation.

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:all versions

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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm ARM Mali GPU is in use
    Check /proc/mali or /sys/class/misc/mali for Mali device entries; or use 'cat /sys/class/misc/mali0/device/gpu_model' if available; alternatively, check dmesg for 'mali' or 'Mali-' kernel messages during boot
    Affected if The device contains an ARM Mali GPU (any variant) - this is the prerequisite for the vulnerability to apply
  2. Identify the gralloc module vendor
    List files in /vendor/lib/hw/ or /system/lib/hw/ matching 'gralloc*' (e.g., gralloc.default.so, gralloc.mali.so); check the file's metadata or strings output for 'mali' references
    Affected if The gralloc module is the ARM Mali implementation (mali_gralloc) rather than a different vendor's implementation
  3. Verify the private_handle_t structure exists in the gralloc binary
    Use 'strings' on the gralloc module file (e.g., strings /vendor/lib/hw/gralloc.default.so | grep private_handle_t) or inspect the binary for references to 'private_handle_t' and 'mali_gralloc_buffer.h'
    Affected if The gralloc module contains the vulnerable private_handle_t structure from the Mali gralloc buffer management code
  4. Check Android security patch level
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to retrieve the installed security patch date; compare against the date when the Mali gralloc patch became available
    Affected if The security patch level is older than the vendor's patch release date for CVE-2023-48412, indicating the fix has not been applied
  5. Confirm the device is unpatched by reviewing the gralloc module for the vulnerable logic pattern
    Analyze the gralloc binary for logic that improperly handles buffer handle bounds in the private_handle_t structure; look for code paths where buffer metadata is returned to unprivileged callers without proper isolation
    Affected if The gralloc module contains the flawed buffer handle processing logic that can expose memory contents to local unprivileged users

The device is affected if it uses an ARM Mali GPU with a gralloc module containing the vulnerable private_handle_t handling logic, and the security patch for CVE-2023-48412 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-supplied patch for the Mali GPU driver/gralloc module; if unavailable, review and correct the logic flow in private_handle_t handling to ensure proper bounds checking and data isolation.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

December 2023 Android Security Patch Level (or subsequent monthly patches)

  1. Check current Android Security Patch Level on the device (Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level)
  2. Apply the latest Android system update containing the December 2023 security patch or later
  3. If the device manufacturer has not released an update, contact the device vendor for the patch containing the CVE-2023-48412 fix
  4. Verify the Mali GPU driver has been updated to a version that addresses the logic error in private_handle_t of mali_gralloc_buffer.h
Caveat Applying security patches typically has minimal risk; however, ensure backups exist before major system updates

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
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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-2023-48412 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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