Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessConvince target to install malicious app
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DeliveryApp invokes protected Telephony IPC interface
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ExploitMissing permission check allows unauthenticated call
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ExecutionGain elevated telephony access
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ImpactExfiltrate call logs or manipulate telephony state
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: 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 that the attacker achieve local code execution on an affected MediaTek-chipset Android device - in practice, this means the target must install an attacker-controlled application, whether through sideloading, a compromised app store listing, or social engineering. The CVSS vector PR:N confirms no Android permissions are required on the malicious app side; the missing permission check is the entire prerequisite on the Telephony service side. Exploitation is limited to: (1) devices using one of the 35 enumerated MediaTek chipsets, (2) running an OEM firmware build that has not yet integrated MediaTek patch ALPS11087526, and (3) where local code execution has been established by the attacker. No network-facing attack path is indicated - AV:L is confirmed by the CVSS vector. There is no required non-default configuration; the Telephony service is present and active by default on all Android devices. UI:N means the exploit executes without further victim interaction after app installation. |
| Impact | Multiple risk signals present a coherent but nuanced picture. CVSS 3.1 rates this 7.7 (High) with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N, reflecting that no Android permissions are required for exploitation and no user interaction is necessary - but the Local attack vector constrains exploitation to scenarios where an attacker already has local code execution (e.g., a sideloaded or trojanized app). EPSS of 0.15% at the 5th percentile signals very low current exploitation probability, consistent with no KEV listing and no identified public exploit code. The combination of PR:N (no calling-app permissions needed) and AV:L (local access prerequisite) means the realistic threat model is a malicious app on the device that silently abuses telephony privilege without requesting dangerous permissions - a meaningful evasion of Android's permission-based defense model. The absence of A (Availability) impact is consistent with the described effect being read/write over telephony state rather than denial of service. For defenders, this is a medium-real-world priority: the broad chipset footprint elevates exposure, but actual exploitation requires the attacker to have already placed code on the target device. OEM patch lag - common in the MediaTek supply chain - may extend the window of exposure significantly beyond MediaTek's own bulletin date. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker distributes a malicious Android application that declares no sensitive telephony permissions in its manifest, bypassing Play Store or enterprise policy reviews that inspect declared permissions. Once installed on a device running an unpatched MediaTek chipset, the app silently calls protected Telephony IPC interfaces - leveraging the missing permission check - to read call history, intercept SMS metadata, or manipulate active calls without any user-visible indication. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, but the straightforward nature of the missing permission check (CWE-862) makes independent exploit development feasible for a motivated actor familiar with Android IPC internals. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 03, 2026
Privilege escalation in MediaTek's Android Telephony component enables any locally-installed application - regardless of its declared Android permissions - to invoke protected telephony operations by exploiting a missing authorization check (CWE-862). The flaw affects 35 MediaTek chipsets spanning the Helio and Dimensity families and yields high confidentiality and integrity impact over telephony functions such as call management and SMS routing. No public exploit has been identified and EPSS of 0.15% (5th percentile) indicates negligible current exploitation activity, though the zero-privilege-required nature of local exploitation lowers the attacker bar once device access is established.
RemediationAI
The primary fix is patch ALPS11087526 (Issue MSV-8243), released by MediaTek in their August 2026 security bulletin at https://www.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/August-2026. Device manufacturers using the affected chipsets must integrate this patch into their Android firmware builds and push OTA updates to end users - the patch release from MediaTek does not automatically reach end-user devices. Users should apply any available OTA update from their device OEM once it incorporates this fix. No exact patched Android firmware version is independently confirmable from available data; consumers should verify with their device OEM. As a compensating control where patching is delayed, enterprise mobile device management (MDM) policies can restrict installation of applications from unknown sources or enforce allow-listing of permitted apps, reducing the risk of a malicious app being installed to exploit the missing permission check. This control has the trade-off of limiting user flexibility and does not eliminate risk if a legitimate-looking app in an OEM or third-party store is weaponized. Disabling sideloading via Android's 'Install unknown apps' setting provides a partial compensating measure on unmanaged devices.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability resides in MediaTek's Telephony software layer within the Android middleware stack, which arbitrates IPC access to radio interface functions including call control, SMS dispatch, and subscriber identity operations. CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) indicates that one or more IPC entry points in the Telephony service fail to enforce the Android permission gate that should restrict callers - typically manifest permissions such as READ_PHONE_STATE or CALL_PHONE. Without that check, any unprivileged caller with local code execution can directly invoke the protected API. The affected scope spans 35 distinct MediaTek SoCs (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:mediatek,_inc.:mediatek_chipset) including MT6761, MT6765, MT6768, MT6833, MT6853, MT6877, MT6879, MT6885, MT6889, MT6893, MT6895, MT6983, MT6985, MT6989, MT6991, MT6993, MT8766, MT8766R, MT8768, MT8775, MT8781, MT8792, MT8796, MT8873, MT8883, MT8893 and others - covering chipsets used in budget through flagship Android devices manufactured by numerous OEMs. Patch ID ALPS11087526 (Issue MSV-8243) was issued by MediaTek and published in the August 2026 product security bulletin.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Local access required to invoke IPC; no calling-app permissions needed (PR:N) because the check is entirely absent on the service side; no availability impact described.
Primary rating from Vendor (MediaTek).
CVSS VectorVendor: MediaTek
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
In Telephony, there is a possible escalation of privilege due to a missing permission check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS11087526; Issue ID: MSV-8243.
Executive ViewAI
MediaTek's Android Telephony component (35 Helio and Dimensity chipsets) contains a privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2026-20483) allowing any locally installed application to perform unauthorized call and SMS operations without explicit permissions. No public exploit identified at time of analysis. This affects millions of devices globally and poses significant risk to enterprise BYOD programs through potential fraud, call interception, and unauthorized SMS access.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Implement application allowlisting through mobile device management to restrict installed applications; enforce mandatory app store vetting and disable third-party app installation; monitor SMS and call logs for unauthorized activity; disable non-essential telephony features; restrict app installation permissions via MDM; segment networks isolating telephony-critical functions; maintain updated device inventory and accelerate refresh cycles for affected hardware.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.
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CVE.org
EPSS
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