CVE-2022-20395

Local privilege escalation via noncanonical deletion paths

Published Sep 13, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Path traversal in MediaProvider on Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to delete files and elevate privileges. MediaProvider stores noncanonical paths built from relative-path and display-name values, then checkAccess authorizes a path before deletion resolves its traversal segments. A malicious local app needs no additional execution privileges or user interaction, and the deletion can cross the intended storage boundary.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Path traversal in MediaProvider on Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to delete files and elevate privileges. MediaProvider stores noncanonical paths built from relative-path and display-name values, then checkAccess authorizes a path before deletion resolves its traversal segments. A malicious local app needs no additional execution privileges or user interaction, and the deletion can cross the intended storage boundary.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-20395
Published
Sep 13, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-22, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 13, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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-11 Android-12 Android-12L Android-13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android-11 Android-12 Android-12L Android-13

Published CVSS scores

7.8GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
T1404Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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