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MediaTek GNSS CVE-2026-20550

| EUVDEUVD-2026-115015 MEDIUM
Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787)
2026-11-02 MediaTek GHSA-6fv9-h48r-757v
6.2
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: MediaTek
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Gain local code execution on device
  2. Delivery
    Supply malformed input to GNSS component
  3. Exploit
    Trigger missing bounds check (out-of-bounds write)
  4. Execution
    Corrupt GNSS subsystem memory
  5. Impact
    Local denial of service

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, write limits
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires local access to a device built on an affected MediaTek chipset (MT6990, MT6890, MT6988, MT6880, MT6986, MT6982, MT6980D, MT2735, MT2737) and interaction with the GNSS (satellite positioning) component to reach the unbounded write path. The description states user interaction is needed for exploitation, which limits unattended or remote abuse; however, the supplied CVSS vector encodes UI:N, so the exact interaction requirement is unconfirmed and should be verified with MediaTek. No additional execution privileges are required (PR:N). The vector is local (AV:L), so network or adjacent exploitation is not applicable; impact is confined to availability (denial of service) with no confidentiality or integrity effect.

Impact

This is a moderate-severity, locally-exploitable denial-of-service issue (CVSS 6.2, CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) in the GNSS (satellite positioning) component of MediaTek chipsets, stemming from an out-of-bounds write (CWE-787) caused by a missing bounds check. The signals are internally consistent on impact - availability-only (A:H), no confidentiality or integrity impact - but there is a clear conflict on user interaction: the supplied CVSS vector encodes UI:N (none), while the description explicitly states 'User interaction is needed for exploitation.' This contradiction should be verified with MediaTek, as it materially changes exploitability. SSVC reinforces a non-urgent posture: Exploitation=none (no observed or public exploitation), Automatable=no, and Technical Impact=partial, which aligns with a local DoS rather than code execution. There is no CISA KEV listing and no EPSS score provided, so widespread opportunistic exploitation is not indicated. The vuln.today priority label is 'this_month' - a routine patch-cycle priority, not an emergency. Net assessment: a real but lower-tier issue - a legitimate availability bug worth patching on the normal monthly Android/MediaTek cadence, not a high-CVSS item masquerading as critical nor an actively-exploited emergency.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A malicious or compromised application running locally on a device with an affected MediaTek chipset, or a crafted local input to the GNSS component, triggers the missing bounds check and causes an out-of-bounds write that crashes or destabilizes the GNSS subsystem, resulting in a local denial of service. Per the description, user interaction is required to reach the vulnerable path (though the supplied CVSS vector's UI:N disagrees). No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Nov 02, 2026

Out-of-bounds write in the GNSS (satellite positioning) component of MediaTek chipsets allows a local attacker with no additional execution privileges to crash or deny service on affected devices, with availability-only impact (CVSS 6.2, CWE-787). The issue affects chipsets MT6990, MT6890, MT6988, MT6880, MT6986, MT6982, MT6980D, MT2735 and MT2737 and is addressed by MediaTek Patch ID ALPS11309816 per the November 2026 Product Security Bulletin. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and CISA SSVC records exploitation as none; the description states user interaction is needed, which limits unattended or remote abuse.

RemediationAI

MediaTek has assigned Patch ID ALPS11309816 (Issue ID MSV-10731), documented in the November 2026 Product Security Bulletin at https://www.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/November-2026; because chipset firmware is delivered through device OEMs, obtain the updated firmware build from the device manufacturer and verify that it incorporates ALPS11309816. No vendor workaround is described in the available sources, so applying the patched build is the complete fix; until then, exposure is limited to local access on affected devices, and the stated user-interaction requirement reduces unattended abuse but does not eliminate the denial-of-service risk.

Affected VersionsENISA

MediaTek chipset MT6990
MediaTek chipset MT6890
MediaTek chipset MT6988
MediaTek chipset MT6880
MediaTek chipset MT6986
MediaTek chipset MT6982
MediaTek chipset MT6980D
MediaTek chipset MT2735
MediaTek chipset MT2737

Affects your stack

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Technical ContextAI · show details

The flaw is a CWE-787 out-of-bounds write in the GNSS (satellite positioning) code path of MediaTek chipset firmware: a missing bounds check permits a write beyond an intended buffer, corrupting memory and producing a denial-of-service condition. The supplied CPE, cpe:2.3:a:mediatek,_inc.:mediatek_chipset:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, is version-wildcarded and identifies the family of MediaTek chipsets rather than a firmware build, so the precise vulnerable build must be mapped through MediaTek's November 2026 bulletin. The attack vector is local (AV:L) with no additional execution privileges (PR:N) and availability-only impact (A:H, C:N/I:N); the trigger beyond the missing bounds check is not described in the available sources. There is a discrepancy around interaction: the description says user interaction is needed, the supplied CVSS vector encodes UI:N, and the assessed vector uses UI:R, so the exact interaction requirement is unconfirmed and should be verified with MediaTek.

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Severity by source

Vendor (MediaTek) PRIMARY 6.2 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
vuln.today AI 5.5 MEDIUM

Local vector and no extra privileges (AV:L/PR:N) per description; UI:R chosen because the description states user interaction is required; availability-only impact (A:H, C/I:N) for a local DoS.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (MediaTek).

CVSS VectorVendor: MediaTek

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

3
CVSS changed
Nov 02, 2026 - 17:37 NVD
6.2 (MEDIUM)
CVE Published
Nov 02, 2026 - 02:33 cve.org
MEDIUM 6.2
CVE Published
Nov 02, 2026 - 02:33 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

In gnss, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local denial of service with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS11309816; Issue ID: MSV-10731.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 97% exploitable
Prevalence
High
MediaTek chipsets power a large share of Android smartphones and embedded devices
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

31
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +31
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

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CVE-2026-20495 HIGH
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Local privilege escalation in MediaTek's Bluetooth driver affects six Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo chipsets (MT7902, MT7920, MT

CVE-2026-20455 HIGH
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Local privilege escalation in MediaTek GenieZone (trusted execution environment) allows an attacker who has already gain

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Local privilege escalation in the MediaTek GPU pdma kernel driver allows a process already running with user-level privi

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