Physical privilege escalation via unchecked USB write
Published Mar 9, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024
An out-of-bounds write in MediaTek preloader USB allows physically proximate attackers to gain elevated privileges on Android 10.0 through 12.0. The preloader's USB path writes beyond a buffer because it fails to check an input boundary; MediaTek has not disclosed the affected function or field. Exploitation requires physical access and user interaction but no prior execution privileges, and successful memory corruption grants higher local privileges.
Summary
What happened
An out-of-bounds write in MediaTek preloader USB allows physically proximate attackers to gain elevated privileges on Android 10.0 through 12.0. The preloader's USB path writes beyond a buffer because it fails to check an input boundary; MediaTek has not disclosed the affected function or field. Exploitation requires physical access and user interaction but no prior execution privileges, and successful memory corruption grants higher local privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-20055
- Published
- Mar 9, 2022
- Updated
- Aug 3, 2024
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-787, T1404
- Attack vector
- physical
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 9, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
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.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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