CVE-2025-20789 Overview
CVE-2025-20789 is a medium-severity information disclosure vulnerability affecting the GPU PDMA (Programmable Direct Memory Access) component in multiple MediaTek chipsets used in Android devices. The vulnerability stems from a missing bounds check that could allow an attacker to access sensitive information stored in memory.
This vulnerability requires local access and user interaction for successful exploitation. While no additional execution privileges are needed, an attacker must convince a user to perform a specific action to trigger the vulnerability. The flaw could result in unauthorized access to confidential data processed by the GPU subsystem.
Critical Impact
Local information disclosure vulnerability in MediaTek GPU PDMA affecting Android 15.0 devices with specific MediaTek chipsets. No elevated privileges required, but user interaction is necessary for exploitation.
Affected Products
- Google Android 15.0
- MediaTek MT6781
- MediaTek MT6833
- MediaTek MT6853
- MediaTek MT6877
- MediaTek MT6893
- MediaTek MT8196
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-12-02 - CVE-2025-20789 published to NVD
- 2025-12-03 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-20789
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability exists within the GPU PDMA subsystem of affected MediaTek chipsets. PDMA is a specialized DMA controller used for high-performance data transfers between system memory and the GPU. The flaw is classified under CWE-201 (Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data), indicating that the vulnerability may inadvertently expose sensitive data during memory operations.
The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.4 (Medium) reflects the local attack vector combined with low complexity requirements. The vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N indicates:
- Attack Vector (AV:L): Local access required
- Attack Complexity (AC:L): Low complexity exploitation
- Privileges Required (PR:N): No privileges needed
- User Interaction (UI:R): Requires user interaction
- Confidentiality Impact (C:L): Low confidentiality impact
- Integrity Impact (I:L): Low integrity impact
- Availability Impact (A:N): No availability impact
The EPSS score of 0.004% with a percentile of 15.8% suggests a relatively low probability of active exploitation in the near term.
Root Cause
The root cause of CVE-2025-20789 is a missing bounds check in the GPU PDMA component. When processing memory transfer requests, the component fails to properly validate the boundaries of data buffers before performing read operations. This missing validation allows memory outside the intended buffer to be accessed, potentially exposing sensitive information from adjacent memory regions.
The vulnerability is tracked internally by MediaTek as Patch ID ALPS10117741 and Issue ID MSV-4538.
Attack Vector
The attack requires local access to the device and user interaction for successful exploitation. An attacker could craft a malicious application that triggers the vulnerable code path in the GPU PDMA subsystem. When a user interacts with the malicious application (such as opening a specially crafted image or document that requires GPU processing), the bounds check bypass is triggered.
The vulnerability manifests during GPU memory transfer operations where improper bounds checking allows read access beyond allocated buffer boundaries. This could expose sensitive data from kernel memory or other application memory spaces that happen to be adjacent to the GPU buffer. For detailed technical information, refer to the MediaTek December 2025 Product Security Bulletin.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-20789
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual GPU memory access patterns or errors in system logs
- Applications making excessive or abnormal GPU PDMA requests
- Unexpected memory access violations in GPU driver logs
- Suspicious third-party applications requesting GPU resources without legitimate purpose
Detection Strategies
Organizations can implement the following detection strategies for CVE-2025-20789:
Log Monitoring: Enable and monitor GPU driver logs for abnormal memory access patterns. Look for memory boundary violations or unexpected data transfer requests that may indicate exploitation attempts.
Application Vetting: Implement strict application vetting procedures for managed devices. Monitor for applications that make unusual GPU API calls or exhibit suspicious memory access behaviors.
Behavioral Analysis: Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying anomalous GPU subsystem activity. SentinelOne's behavioral AI can detect unusual patterns of memory access that may indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.
Kernel Audit Logging: Enable kernel audit logging on Android devices to capture detailed information about GPU driver interactions and memory operations.
Monitoring Recommendations
Organizations should implement continuous monitoring for devices running affected MediaTek chipsets:
- Device Inventory: Maintain an accurate inventory of devices with affected MediaTek chipsets (MT6781, MT6833, MT6853, MT6877, MT6893, MT8196)
- Patch Status Tracking: Monitor patch deployment status across the device fleet
- Security Log Aggregation: Centralize collection of Android security logs and GPU driver logs
- Anomaly Detection: Deploy solutions that can detect unusual application behaviors related to GPU memory access
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-20789
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the MediaTek security patch ALPS10117741 as soon as available through device OEM updates
- Update affected devices to the latest Android security patch level that includes the fix
- Restrict installation of applications from unknown sources on affected devices
- Educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted content on affected devices
- Monitor for and block known malicious applications targeting this vulnerability
Patch Information
MediaTek has released a security patch identified as ALPS10117741 to address this vulnerability. The fix is documented in the MediaTek December 2025 Product Security Bulletin available at: https://corp.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/December-2025
Device manufacturers using affected MediaTek chipsets should integrate this patch into their Android builds. End users should install OEM security updates as they become available for their specific device models. Android security patches are typically distributed through:
- Device OEM update channels
- Google Play system updates (for supported devices)
- Carrier-pushed firmware updates
Workarounds
Until patches can be applied, the following workarounds can help reduce risk:
Restrict Application Sources: Configure devices to only allow application installation from trusted sources such as the Google Play Store. This reduces the risk of installing malicious applications designed to exploit this vulnerability.
User Awareness: Inform users to avoid opening suspicious files or interacting with untrusted content, as user interaction is required for exploitation.
Mobile Device Management: For enterprise environments, use MDM solutions to enforce security policies, restrict application installation, and push updates when available.
Network Segmentation: Limit the network access of potentially affected devices to reduce the value of any information that might be disclosed through exploitation.
Note: There are no specific configuration changes that can fully mitigate this vulnerability without applying the vendor-provided patch, as the issue exists at the hardware driver level.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
