CVE-2024-20138
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in MediaTek wlan drivers allows remote attackers to read memory beyond intended boundaries without authentication or user interaction. It affects devices using vulnerable MediaTek wireless chipsets, potentially exposing sensitive information from kernel memory. The risk is highest for internet-connected devices with wireless interfaces enabled.
💻 Affected Systems
- MediaTek wireless chipsets with vulnerable wlan drivers
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote attacker could read kernel memory containing sensitive data like encryption keys, passwords, or other device secrets, leading to complete system compromise.
Likely Case
Information disclosure of kernel memory contents, potentially exposing device identifiers, network information, or partial system state.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and access controls, impact limited to internal network reconnaissance only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting specific wireless packets to trigger the out-of-bounds read. No public exploit available as of advisory date.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply patch ID: ALPS08998291
Vendor Advisory: https://corp.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/December-2024
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Contact device manufacturer for firmware updates. 2. Apply MediaTek-provided driver patches. 3. Update device firmware to latest version. 4. Reboot device after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable wireless interface
allTemporarily disable Wi-Fi to prevent remote exploitation
adb shell svc wifi disable
nmcli radio wifi off
ip link set wlan0 down
Network segmentation
networkIsolate vulnerable devices on separate VLAN with strict firewall rules
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Segment vulnerable devices on isolated network segments
- Implement strict firewall rules to limit wireless network access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device specifications for MediaTek wireless chipset and firmware version against vendor advisoryCheck Version:
adb shell getprop ro.build.fingerprint or cat /proc/versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify patch ID ALPS08998291 is applied in driver version or firmware📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- Driver crash reports
- Unusual wireless packet patterns in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Malformed 802.11 packets targeting MediaTek devices
- Unusual wireless traffic patterns
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND "wlan" AND ("panic" OR "oops" OR "out of bounds")