CVE-2026-20536

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Memory Corruption in AIDL Due to Use After Free

Publication date: 2026-10-05

Last updated on: 2026-10-09

Assigner: MediaTek, Inc.

Description

In aidl, there is a possible memory corruption due to use after free. This could lead to local escalation of privilege if a malicious actor has already obtained the System privilege. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS11242428; Issue ID: MSV-9038.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-10-05

Last Modified

2026-10-09

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-05

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-20536

EUVD

EUVD-2026-92187

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
mediatek	mt6878_firmware	*
mediatek	mt6881_firmware	*
mediatek	mt6899_firmware	*
mediatek	mt6989_firmware	*
mediatek	mt6991_firmware	*
mediatek	mt6993_firmware	*
mediatek	mt8188_firmware	*
mediatek	mt8189_firmware	*
mediatek	mt8668_firmware	*
mediatek	mt8695_firmware	*
mediatek	mt8696_firmware	*
mediatek	mt8781_firmware	*
mediatek	mt8910_firmware	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-416	The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a memory corruption issue in aidl (Android Interface Definition Language) caused by a use-after-free condition. This means a program tries to access memory that has already been freed, potentially leading to crashes or unintended behavior. The issue allows local privilege escalation if an attacker already has System-level access.

Detection Guidance

Detection requires checking for the presence of the patched version of aidl. Verify if your system has applied Patch ID ALPS11242428 or later. Check the version of aidl installed on your device using package manager commands like 'adb shell dumpsys package mediatek.aidl' or inspect system logs for related crashes or memory corruption events.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker with existing System privileges to further escalate their access, potentially gaining control over the device or executing arbitrary code. However, user interaction is not required for exploitation, and the attacker must already have high-level access.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability involves memory corruption due to use-after-free in aidl, potentially allowing local privilege escalation if System privilege is already obtained. It does not require user interaction. The impact on compliance standards like GDPR or HIPAA is indirect, as it primarily affects system security and integrity rather than data protection directly.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the patch provided by MediaTek with Patch ID ALPS11242428 to address the use-after-free issue in aidl. Ensure the patch is applied to all affected systems to prevent local privilege escalation.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-20536. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70