Security Resilience

CVE-2020-0041

Google Android

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD Exploited
Published
10 March 2020
Modified
23 October 2025
KEV Added
03 November 2021
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.031 88th percentile
Risk Priority 83 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2020-0041 is a high-severity Improper Input Validation (CWE-20) vulnerability in Google Android. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, ranked in the top 12% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

The vulnerability CVE-2020-0041 is an out of bounds write in the binder_transaction function of binder.c due to an incorrect bounds check. It affects the Android kernel, carries Android ID A-145988638, and is referenced against the upstream kernel. The flaw is assigned CWE-20 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8.

A local attacker with existing process privileges can exploit the issue without additional execution rights or user interaction, resulting in escalation of privilege that affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The March 2020 Android security bulletin documents the issue and associated patches, while the CISA known exploited vulnerabilities catalog confirms its presence in real-world attack activity.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

In binder_transaction of binder.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to an incorrect bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions:…

more

Android kernelAndroid ID: A-145988638References: Upstream kernel

CWE(s)
KEV Date Added
03 November 2021

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-23705Same product: Google Android
CVE-2026-0078Same product: Google Android
CVE-2024-0022Same product: Google Android
CVE-2021-39793Same product: Google Androidboth on KEV
CVE-2023-20976Same product: Google Android
CVE-2023-20932Same product: Google Android
CVE-2024-23717Same product: Google Android
CVE-2021-1048Same product: Google Androidboth on KEV
CVE-2025-48647Same product: Google Android
CVE-2026-28640Same product: Google Android

Affected Assets

google
android
all versions

Mitigating Controls

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-20

Security testing and developer training directly verify and enforce proper input validation, reducing exploitability of injection and malformed-data weaknesses.

addresses: CWE-20

Security testing and evaluation at multiple SDLC stages directly detects missing or flawed input validation, with the required remediation process ensuring fixes are applied.

addresses: CWE-20

Directly implements checks on information inputs to reject invalid data before processing.

addresses: CWE-20

Spam protection mechanisms perform filtering and detection on inbound/outbound messages, directly compensating for missing or weak input validation of unsolicited content.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

blocks

A.8.25 mandates security requirements, secure coding guidelines, checkpoints, testing (incl. code scans) and developer training in the SDLC, which reaches a slice of input validation defects but leaves the majority (incomplete enforcement, second-order inputs, parser differentials, post-validation canonicalization) unaddressed as in the SA-3 and A.8.28 anchors.

blocks

Mandating input controls that include integrity checks and input validation ensures that untrusted data is examined before use, blocking the root cause of many injection and malformed-data weaknesses.

blocks

Security-by-design principles explicitly call for data validation and sanitization at every layer, reducing the chance that malformed or malicious input will be processed without scrutiny.

prevents

Requiring language-specific secure coding standards, peer review, SAST and documented mitigation of common programming errors forces validation of all inputs before they are trusted.

finds

Testing against a defined set of requirements and using code review plus vulnerability scanning forces validation of inputs and handling of unanticipated conditions, reducing the chance that malformed data will be accepted.

Hardening callouts derived

DISA STIG baselines are authored against specific weaknesses. Where this CVE cites a broad weakness class, the mapping is not asserted at that abstraction (owner ruling, 2026-09-25: grade only at Base and below), so no rule is shown here rather than a rule shown against the wrong grain.

  • No fine-grained STIG row for CWE-20, a class-level weakness, and none of its children carries one either.

References