CVE-2025-20803
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an integer overflow vulnerability in dpe (likely a MediaTek component) that could lead to memory corruption. An attacker with System privilege could exploit this to escalate privileges locally, though user interaction is required. This affects devices using vulnerable MediaTek chipsets.
💻 Affected Systems
- MediaTek devices using dpe component
📦 What is this software?
Android by Google
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation to kernel-level access, potentially allowing complete system compromise and persistence.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing an attacker to gain higher privileges than initially obtained, but requiring existing System access and user interaction.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper privilege separation and exploit mitigations are in place, though memory corruption could still cause instability.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires existing System privilege and user interaction. Integer overflow to memory corruption chain requires specific conditions.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patch ID: ALPS10199779
Vendor Advisory: https://corp.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/January-2026
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check device manufacturer for firmware updates. 2. Apply MediaTek security patch ALPS10199779. 3. Reboot device after patch installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict System Privilege Access
allLimit which users/processes have System privilege to reduce attack surface
Enable Exploit Mitigations
linuxEnable ASLR, stack canaries, and other memory protection features
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit who has System privilege
- Monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts and memory corruption events
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device firmware version and patch level against MediaTek security bulletinsCheck Version:
Check device-specific firmware version command (varies by manufacturer)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify patch ALPS10199779 is applied in system patch information📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- Memory corruption errors in system logs
- Unexpected privilege escalation events
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
Search for kernel panic events OR memory corruption errors in system logs