Privileged code execution via missing bootloader size check
Published Mar 5, 2024 · Updated Apr 16, 2025
Heap overflow in selected Samsung Mobile Devices running Android 11 through 14 on MediaTek allows local privileged attackers to execute arbitrary code. Little Kernel's custom boot-logo JPEG parser fails to validate an image's file size before copying attacker-controlled data into heap memory. Exploitation requires privileged local access to flash a malformed JPEG into the up_param partition, enabling bootloader code execution and persistence when the device boots.
Summary
What happened
Heap overflow in selected Samsung Mobile Devices running Android 11 through 14 on MediaTek allows local privileged attackers to execute arbitrary code. Little Kernel's custom boot-logo JPEG parser fails to validate an image's file size before copying attacker-controlled data into heap memory. Exploitation requires privileged local access to flash a malformed JPEG into the up_param partition, enabling bootloader code execution and persistence when the device boots.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-20832
- Published
- Mar 5, 2024
- Updated
- Apr 16, 2025
- Vendor
- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Product
- Samsung Mobile Devices
- Classifications
- CWE-787, T1404
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 5, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 16, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
- Samsung MediaTek boot-chain proof of conceptfunctional · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- BOOTKITTY Samsung boot-chain exploit chainexploit chain
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo