CVE-2020-0319 – This CVE describes an out-of-bounds write vulne... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2020-0319?

CVE-2020-0319 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This CVE describes an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Android's NFC stack that could allow local privilege escalation. Attackers could gain System execution privileges, but exploitation requires firmware compromise and user interaction. Only Android 11 devices with NFC capabilities are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Android's NFC stack that could allow local privilege escalation. Attackers could gain System execution privileges, but exploitation requires firmware compromise and user interaction. Only Android 11 devices with NFC capabilities are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Android

Versions: Android 11 only

Operating Systems: Android

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects devices with NFC hardware; requires firmware compromise for exploitation

📦 What is this software?

Android by Google

View all CVEs affecting Android →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete device compromise with System privileges leading to data theft, persistence, and firmware manipulation

🟠

Likely Case

Limited local privilege escalation requiring physical access or social engineering to trigger NFC interaction

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if patched or NFC disabled; minimal risk with proper app sandboxing

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires physical proximity or local access

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be exploited by malicious insiders with device access

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: HIGH

Exploitation requires firmware compromise, user interaction via NFC, and local access

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Android Security Patch Level 2020-09-01 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/android-11

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check for system updates in Settings > System > Advanced > System update. 2. Install Android Security Patch Level 2020-09-01 or later. 3. Reboot device after installation.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable NFC

android

Turn off NFC functionality to prevent exploitation

Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > NFC > Toggle OFF

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Disable NFC functionality completely
Restrict physical access to devices and monitor for suspicious NFC activity

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Settings > About phone > Android version = 11 AND Security patch level earlier than 2020-09-01

Check Version:

adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release && adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify Security patch level is 2020-09-01 or later in Settings > About phone

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unexpected NFC service crashes
Elevated permissions granted to NFC-related processes

Network Indicators:

None - local exploit only

SIEM Query:

source="android_logs" AND (process="com.android.nfc" AND (event="crash" OR event="privilege_escalation"))

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2020-0319

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-787

Published: September 18, 2020

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/android-11 Vendor Advisory
https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/android-11 Vendor Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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