CVE-2022-20554

Local privilege escalation via stale input controller

Published Dec 16, 2022 · Updated Apr 18, 2025

Use-after-free in InputFlinger on Android 13 allows local users with System execution privileges to escalate privileges without interaction. InputDevice::removeEventHubDevice erases an event-hub device from mDevices but leaves mController referencing that device, enabling an out-of-bounds read from freed storage. Exploitation requires local System execution privileges, and the bounded result is elevation within the device rather than remote compromise.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in InputFlinger on Android 13 allows local users with System execution privileges to escalate privileges without interaction. InputDevice::removeEventHubDevice erases an event-hub device from mDevices but leaves mController referencing that device, enabling an out-of-bounds read from freed storage. Exploitation requires local System execution privileges, and the bounded result is elevation within the device rather than remote compromise.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-20554
Published
Dec 16, 2022
Updated
Apr 18, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-416, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 16, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 18, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=Android-13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android-13

Published CVSS scores

6.7CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
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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