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MediaTek vdec EUVDEUVD-2026-72195

| CVE-2026-20502 HIGH
Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122)
2026-09-07 MediaTek GHSA-56mv-f87w-qqrr
8.4
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
    Malicious app installed on target device
  2. Delivery
    App invokes vdec driver via media framework API
  3. Exploit
    Crafted input bypasses missing bounds check
  4. Execution
    Heap out-of-bounds write corrupts kernel memory
  5. Persist
    Kernel execution flow hijacked
  6. Impact
    Full local privilege escalation to root achieved

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

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

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the attacker to execute local code on the target device - specifically, an installed process capable of invoking the MediaTek vdec driver interface through media APIs. Because the CVSS vector specifies PR:N alongside AV:L, no special Android permissions or elevated privileges beyond ordinary app execution are required; a standard unprivileged app context is sufficient to reach the vulnerable code path. The attack is strictly local (AV:L): remote exploitation is not possible without first achieving separate code execution on the device via another vulnerability. No user interaction is required once the malicious payload is running on the device. Per SSVC, the attack is not automatable due to the local-access prerequisite. The flaw is present across all software versions shipping the unpatched vdec component on the 53 listed chipset SKUs, with no specific non-default configuration required to expose the vulnerable code path.

Impact

The CVSS 8.4 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) captures the core risk accurately: local access required, low complexity, no privileges, no interaction, with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact - scope-unchanged prevents a Critical rating. SSVC signals exploitation status as 'none' and automatable as 'no,' aligning with the absence of any CISA KEV listing or known proof-of-concept code, though technical impact is rated 'total.' The PR:N with AV:L combination is notable: in Android and similar embedded stacks, vdec is reachable by ordinary app processes without elevated permissions, meaning any installed malicious application on an affected device constitutes a viable attack path. No EPSS score was provided in the input data, limiting probabilistic exploitation forecasting. Even a mid-sized municipal IT team in walbrzych managing a fleet of MediaTek-based Android handsets should treat this as urgent given the breadth - 53 chipset SKUs spanning a substantial portion of global budget and mid-range device shipments. The primary long-term concern is the delayed patch propagation pipeline: MediaTek distributes fixes to OEMs, who must then build and push OS updates to end users, a process that can take months and often never reaches older devices.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker distributes a malicious Android application - perhaps disguised as a media player or codec tool - that, once installed on a device containing an affected MediaTek chipset, submits crafted inputs to the vdec kernel driver via the platform media framework. The malformed request triggers the missing bounds check, causing a heap out-of-bounds write that corrupts adjacent kernel data structures, allowing the attacker to redirect kernel execution and escalate to root. No public proof-of-concept has been identified at time of analysis, but the technique is well-established in the mobile kernel exploitation literature for similar video-driver heap overflow vulnerabilities.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 07, 2026

Local privilege escalation in MediaTek's vdec (video decoder) kernel driver affects more than 53 distinct chipset variants via a heap-based out-of-bounds write stemming from a missing bounds check (CWE-122). An unprivileged local process on any affected device can trigger the flaw to achieve full kernel-level read, write, and execute access without requiring any user interaction. No public exploit code or active exploitation (CISA KEV) has been identified at time of analysis, though the sheer breadth of affected chipsets across MediaTek's mid-range and budget device portfolio makes systematic patch deployment a significant supply-chain challenge.

RemediationAI

Device and OEM manufacturers should integrate and deploy the patch provided by MediaTek under Patch ID ALPS11262030, distributed through the September 2026 MediaTek Product Security Bulletin (https://www.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/September-2026). End users should apply any available OEM system update for their affected device as soon as it is released, and should verify their device's security patch level reflects September 2026 or later MediaTek security fixes. As a compensating control pending OEM patch availability, enterprises managing Android device fleets via MDM should enforce a policy restricting sideloaded application installation to reduce the attack surface, since exploitation requires local code execution - eliminating untrusted app installation paths meaningfully reduces risk. MDM platforms can also be used to flag and quarantine devices below the required patch level. There is no known configuration change that disables vdec without fully removing media playback functionality, so application-layer restriction is the most practical interim mitigation.

Affected VersionsENISA

MediaTek chipset MT8678
MediaTek chipset MT8668
MediaTek chipset MT8788E
MediaTek chipset MT6881
MediaTek chipset MT6853
MediaTek chipset MT6789
MediaTek chipset MT6897
MediaTek chipset MT6879
MediaTek chipset MT8781
MediaTek chipset MT6835
MediaTek chipset MT6895
MediaTek chipset MT8186
MediaTek chipset MT6991
MediaTek chipset MT6769
MediaTek chipset MT6833
MediaTek chipset MT8188
MediaTek chipset MT8792
MediaTek chipset MT6899
MediaTek chipset MT8171
MediaTek chipset MT6886
MediaTek chipset MT8395
MediaTek chipset MT6989
MediaTek chipset MT6885
MediaTek chipset MT8367
MediaTek chipset MT2718
MediaTek chipset MT8196
MediaTek chipset MT6765
MediaTek chipset MT6893
MediaTek chipset MT6779
MediaTek chipset MT8391
MediaTek chipset MT6873
MediaTek chipset MT6993
MediaTek chipset MT6877
MediaTek chipset MT6985
MediaTek chipset MT8696
MediaTek chipset MT6855
MediaTek chipset MT6785
MediaTek chipset MT8189
MediaTek chipset MT6580
MediaTek chipset MT6878
MediaTek chipset MT6858
MediaTek chipset MT6768
MediaTek chipset MT8910
MediaTek chipset MT8799
MediaTek chipset MT6883
MediaTek chipset MT6781
MediaTek chipset MT8676
MediaTek chipset MT6983
MediaTek chipset MT6739
MediaTek chipset MT6761
MediaTek chipset MT6889
MediaTek chipset MT8126
MediaTek chipset MT8195

Affects your stack

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Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability resides in vdec, the video decoder kernel driver integrated into MediaTek's SoC firmware. CWE-122 (heap-based buffer overflow) identifies the root cause: a missing bounds check permits a write operation to exceed a heap allocation boundary, corrupting adjacent kernel memory structures. The affected hardware spans 53 chipset SKUs confirmed in EUVD-2026-72195, encompassing both the Dimensity (MT6xxx) and Helio (MT8xxx) families widely used in Android smartphones, tablets, and IoT platforms. The CPE string (cpe:2.3:a:mediatek,_inc.:mediatek_chipset:*) scopes the flaw to the software layer running on these chips. Video decoder drivers operate in kernel space but are reachable from unprivileged userspace contexts via standard media framework APIs, making them an established privilege-escalation attack surface on mobile platforms.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (MediaTek) PRIMARY 8.4 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.4 HIGH

vdec is reachable by unprivileged app processes (PR:N), local access only (AV:L), with full kernel compromise potential but scope unchanged (S:U).

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
CVE Published
Sep 07, 2026 - 01:57 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 07, 2026 - 01:57 cve.org
HIGH 8.4

DescriptionCVE.org

In vdec, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS11262030; Issue ID: MSV-9196.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

MediaTek's video decoder kernel driver contains a heap overflow vulnerability affecting 53+ chipset variants deployed across budget and mid-range Android devices from multiple manufacturers worldwide. Unprivileged local users on any affected device can achieve kernel-level code execution and complete system compromise without user interaction. The absence of a vendor patch creates material remediation risk across your device supply chain.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) disable vdec hardware acceleration in device settings if video quality permits; (2) restrict unprivileged user shell access and drop dangerous Linux capabilities (CAP_SYS_MODULE, CAP_SYS_BOOT); (3) enforce SELinux or AppArmor policies restricting vdec driver ioctl calls to privileged processes only; (4) enable kernel audit logging and anomaly detection for unexpected vdec driver interactions; (5) physically isolate affected devices from shared-access or production-critical roles. Device upgrade or replacement remains the only complete remediation; monitor vendor advisories continuously.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 96% exploitable
Prevalence
High
MediaTek supplies chipsets to hundreds of millions of mid-range and budget Android devices globally.
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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 HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

42
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +42
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.

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.

A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.

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CVE-2026-20510 MEDIUM
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CVE-2026-20509 MEDIUM
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