Infinite reboot loop via invalid component settings
Published Dec 13, 2022 · Updated Apr 22, 2025
Resource exhaustion in the Android Framework in Android 10 through 12L allows local users to force a device into an infinite reboot loop. PackageManagerService continues processing nonexistent component names passed to setComponentEnabledSetting and records invalid enabled-state entries, allowing a malicious app to exhaust system_server memory. An installed app needs no additional execution privileges or user interaction, and repeated system-server exhaustion causes persistent local service interruption through reboots.
Summary
What happened
Resource exhaustion in the Android Framework in Android 10 through 12L allows local users to force a device into an infinite reboot loop. PackageManagerService continues processing nonexistent component names passed to setComponentEnabledSetting and records invalid enabled-state entries, allowing a malicious app to exhaust system_server memory. An installed app needs no additional execution privileges or user interaction, and repeated system-server exhaustion causes persistent local service interruption through reboots.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-20476
- Published
- Dec 13, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 22, 2025
- Vendor
- Google Cloud
- Product
- Android
- Classifications
- CWE-835, T1529
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 13, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 22, 2025Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=Android-10 Android-11 Android-12 Android-12L
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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