CVE-2020-0221Network attack vector

Remote privilege escalation via scratch allocator overflow

Published May 14, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Integer overflow in Android kernel Airbrush firmware allows remote attackers to elevate privileges through crafted allocations. The scratch-memory allocator fails to detect numeric overflow when calculating an allocation, so a subsequent allocation can return a pointer into memory owned by the preceding allocation. No authentication or user interaction is required, and overlapping allocations enable improper memory access within the Airbrush firmware context.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.47%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Integer overflow in Android kernel Airbrush firmware allows remote attackers to elevate privileges through crafted allocations. The scratch-memory allocator fails to detect numeric overflow when calculating an allocation, so a subsequent allocation can return a pointer into memory owned by the preceding allocation. No authentication or user interaction is required, and overlapping allocations enable improper memory access within the Airbrush firmware context.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-0221
Published
May 14, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-682, T1404
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 14, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Android kernel

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android kernel

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-682Incorrect Calculation
T1404Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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