CVE-2020-0022
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-0022 is a critical Bluetooth vulnerability in Android that allows remote code execution without user interaction. An attacker can exploit this by sending specially crafted Bluetooth packets to vulnerable devices, potentially taking full control. This affects Android devices running versions 8.0 through 10.
💻 Affected Systems
- Android smartphones
- Android tablets
- Android-based devices with Bluetooth
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote attacker gains full system control over vulnerable Android device via Bluetooth, enabling data theft, surveillance, or device compromise.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to malware installation, data exfiltration, or device takeover within Bluetooth range.
If Mitigated
No impact if patched or Bluetooth disabled; limited impact if network segmentation restricts Bluetooth access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit code is publicly available; no authentication required; works within Bluetooth range (~10 meters).
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Android Security Bulletin February 2020 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2020-02-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check for system updates in Settings > System > Advanced > System update. 2. Install Android Security Patch Level February 2020 or later. 3. Reboot device after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Bluetooth
allTurn off Bluetooth to prevent exploitation
adb shell settings put global bluetooth_on 0
Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Bluetooth > Turn off
Restrict Bluetooth visibility
allSet Bluetooth to non-discoverable mode
adb shell settings put global bluetooth_discoverability 0
Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Bluetooth > Device name > Turn off visibility
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Bluetooth completely when not in use
- Implement physical security controls to restrict Bluetooth access to trusted areas
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Android Security Patch Level: Settings > About phone > Android version > Security patch level. If earlier than February 2020, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patchVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Security Patch Level is February 2020 or later: Settings > About phone > Android version > Security patch level.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Bluetooth stack crashes in logcat
- Unexpected Bluetooth pairing attempts
- Abnormal Bluetooth packet sizes in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual Bluetooth traffic patterns
- Malformed Bluetooth packets detected by monitoring tools
SIEM Query:
source="android_logs" AND "Bluetooth" AND ("crash" OR "out of bounds" OR "packet_fragmenter")🔗 References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156891/Android-Bluetooth-Remote-Denial-Of-Service.html
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Feb/10
- http://www.huawei.com/en/psirt/security-advisories/huawei-sa-20200513-03-smartphone-en
- https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2020-02-01
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156891/Android-Bluetooth-Remote-Denial-Of-Service.html
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Feb/10
- http://www.huawei.com/en/psirt/security-advisories/huawei-sa-20200513-03-smartphone-en
- https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2020-02-01
