Cyber Posture

CVE-2025-20797

High

Published: 06 January 2026

Published
06 January 2026
Modified
08 January 2026
KEV Added
Patch
CVSS Score 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0001 0.8th percentile
Risk Priority 16 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2025-20797 is a high-severity Stack-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-121) vulnerability in Google Android. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 0.8th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-16 (Memory Protection) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068). What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.
Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

prevent

Directly remediates the out-of-bounds write vulnerability by requiring timely patching of the missing bounds check in the battery component (ALPS10315812).

prevent

Implements memory safeguards like address space randomization and non-executable stacks to block exploitation of the stack-based out-of-bounds write even if the flaw remains.

prevent

Mandates input validation including bounds checks to address the missing bounds check that enables the out-of-bounds write in the battery component.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
Why these techniques?

Local out-of-bounds write / stack buffer overflow in a privileged battery component directly enables exploitation for privilege escalation from an already-obtained high-privilege context.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v18.1

NVD Description

In battery, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege if a malicious actor has already obtained the System privilege. User interaction is not needed for…

more

exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS10315812; Issue ID: MSV-5534.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2025-20797 is a vulnerability in the battery component featuring a possible out-of-bounds write due to a missing bounds check. It affects MediaTek products, as indicated by the associated patch ID ALPS10315812 and issue ID MSV-5534. The flaw corresponds to CWEs-121 (stack-based buffer overflow) and CWE-787 (out-of-bounds write), with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), published on 2026-01-06.

A local attacker who has already obtained System privileges can exploit this vulnerability to achieve escalation of privilege. No user interaction is required, and the low attack complexity enables reliable exploitation in the local attack vector.

MediaTek's January 2026 product security bulletin at https://corp.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/January-2026 details the patch ALPS10315812 as the mitigation, urging affected users to apply it promptly.

Details

CWE(s)

Affected Products

google
android
14.0, 15.0, 16.0

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References