CVE-2025-20800
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2025-20800 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in mminfra that allows local privilege escalation. Attackers with initial System privilege can exploit this to gain higher privileges without user interaction. This affects systems using MediaTek components with vulnerable mminfra implementations.
💻 Affected Systems
- MediaTek chipsets with mminfra component
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
Android by Google
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with root/kernel-level access, enabling persistence, data theft, and lateral movement across the network.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation from System to higher privileged accounts, allowing installation of malware, credential harvesting, and bypassing security controls.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper privilege separation and least privilege principles are enforced, though still dangerous in multi-user environments.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires existing System privilege, making exploitation more targeted but dangerous in compromised environments.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patch ID: ALPS10267349
Vendor Advisory: https://corp.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/January-2026
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Contact device manufacturer for firmware updates. 2. Apply patch ALPS10267349. 3. Reboot device. 4. Verify patch installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict System Privilege Access
allLimit which users/processes have System privilege to reduce attack surface
Disable Unnecessary Services
androidDisable services using mminfra if not required for device functionality
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and monitor for privilege escalation attempts
- Isolate affected systems from critical network segments and apply network segmentation
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check firmware version against vendor advisory; examine if mminfra component is present and unpatchedCheck Version:
Device-specific commands vary by manufacturer; typically 'getprop ro.build.fingerprint' or similar on AndroidVerify Fix Applied:
Verify patch ALPS10267349 is applied through firmware version check or vendor verification tools📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events
- Abnormal mminfra process behavior
- Kernel panic or crash logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from privileged processes
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent process has System privilege AND child process gains higher privileges