CVE-2025-20768 Overview
CVE-2025-20768 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the MediaTek display component affecting a broad range of MediaTek chipsets used in Android devices. The flaw stems from a missing bounds check that allows a local attacker with System privilege to read memory outside the intended buffer. Successful exploitation can lead to local escalation of privilege without any user interaction. MediaTek tracks the issue as MSV-4805 with patch identifier ALPS10196993. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read.
Critical Impact
A local actor already running with System privilege can escalate further into kernel or privileged contexts on dozens of MediaTek chipset models spanning Android 14, 15, and 16.
Affected Products
- Google Android versions 14.0, 15.0, and 16.0
- MediaTek chipsets: MT6739, MT6761, MT6765, MT6768, MT6781, MT6789, MT6833, MT6835, MT6853, MT6855
- MediaTek chipsets: MT6877, MT6878, MT6879, MT6883, MT6885, MT6886, MT6889, MT6893, MT6895, MT6897, MT6899, MT6983, MT6985, MT6989, MT6991
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-12-02 - CVE-2025-20768 published to NVD
- December 2025 - MediaTek publishes patch in MediaTek Security Bulletin December 2025
- 2025-12-03 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-20768
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the MediaTek display driver component shipped within Android system images for affected chipsets. A missing bounds check permits a read operation to extend past the end of an allocated buffer. The attack vector is local, requires low privileges, and needs no user interaction, but the description explicitly states the actor must already hold System privilege to leverage the issue for escalation.
The exposed memory can include kernel pointers, secret material, or adjacent driver structures. An attacker chains this disclosure with other techniques to defeat Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) or to corrupt subsequent control flow. The result is a transition from System user context into a higher-privileged kernel-adjacent context.
Root Cause
The root cause is an absent boundary validation prior to dereferencing an index or pointer into a buffer inside the display subsystem. Without the check, an attacker-controlled offset can drive the read past the buffer's allocated extent. MediaTek classifies the defect as [CWE-125] and tracks the fix as ALPS10196993.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires a local process already executing with System privilege on the device. The attacker invokes the vulnerable display interface with crafted parameters that bypass the missing bounds validation. Because no user interaction is required, the technique fits cleanly into multi-stage exploit chains where an initial app-level compromise is escalated to System and then to kernel context. No public proof-of-concept or exploit code has been published, and the issue is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
No verified exploit code is available for this issue. Refer to the MediaTek Security Bulletin December 2025 for vendor-supplied technical references.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-20768
Indicators of Compromise
- No public indicators of compromise have been published for CVE-2025-20768 at this time.
- Unexpected crashes, kernel panics, or tombstone reports referencing the MediaTek display driver on affected chipsets warrant investigation.
- Mobile device management (MDM) reports showing devices running pre-December 2025 MediaTek patch levels on Android 14, 15, or 16.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory enrolled mobile endpoints by chipset model and Android security patch level to identify devices missing the December 2025 MediaTek patch.
- Monitor for unauthorized applications obtaining System privilege, which is a prerequisite for exploiting this flaw.
- Correlate device crash telemetry with the display subsystem to identify anomalous read faults that may indicate exploitation attempts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track Android security patch level (ro.build.version.security_patch) across the fleet and flag devices below 2025-12-01.
- Forward device logs and crash reports to a centralized logging platform for retrospective analysis.
- Alert on installation of apps requesting system_app or privileged signature permissions on MediaTek-based devices.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-20768
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the December 2025 MediaTek security patch (ALPS10196993) through the device OEM update channel as soon as it is delivered.
- Enforce a minimum Android security patch level of 2025-12-01 for corporate-managed devices via MDM compliance policies.
- Restrict installation of third-party and sideloaded applications on affected MediaTek-based devices until patches are applied.
Patch Information
MediaTek has released the fix under patch identifier ALPS10196993, tracked internally as issue MSV-4805. Details are published in the MediaTek Security Bulletin December 2025. Device manufacturers (OEMs) incorporate this patch into Android security updates downstream; consult the OEM advisory for each affected device model to confirm rollout timing.
Workarounds
- No vendor-supplied workarounds exist; patching is the only complete remediation.
- Reduce attack surface by removing or disabling applications that hold System-level privileges and are not strictly required.
- Block enrollment of non-compliant devices into sensitive workspaces until the December 2025 patch level is confirmed.
# Verify Android security patch level on a managed device via adb
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.security_patch
# Expected value for remediated devices: 2025-12-01 or later
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.