Overview
CVE-2025-20770 is a critical vulnerability affecting MediaTek display drivers. This vulnerability is classified as a use-after-free, potentially leading to memory corruption. A successful exploit could allow a malicious actor who has already obtained System privileges to escalate those privileges further on the local system. Crucially, user interaction is not required to trigger this vulnerability.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the display component. Specifically, a use-after-free condition occurs, meaning that a memory location is accessed after it has already been freed. This can lead to unpredictable behavior, including program crashes or the execution of arbitrary code. The specific code affected is addressed by MediaTek with Patch ID ALPS10196993 and Issue ID MSV-4803.
Use-after-free vulnerabilities are notoriously difficult to debug and exploit due to their often unpredictable nature. However, when successfully exploited, they can provide an attacker with significant control over the affected system.
CVSS Analysis
Currently, a CVSS score is not available (N/A) for CVE-2025-20770. This may be due to the recent discovery of the vulnerability or because the CVSS score is still being calculated. However, the description suggests a potentially high severity, given the possibility of local privilege escalation without user interaction.
Possible Impact
The exploitation of CVE-2025-20770 could have severe consequences:
- Local Privilege Escalation: An attacker with existing System privileges could leverage this vulnerability to gain higher-level privileges, potentially leading to complete control over the affected device.
- Data Theft: With escalated privileges, an attacker could access sensitive data stored on the device.
- System Compromise: A successful exploit could lead to a complete compromise of the affected device, allowing the attacker to install malware, modify system settings, or perform other malicious activities.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The primary mitigation strategy is to apply the patch provided by MediaTek. The Patch ID is ALPS10196993. It is highly recommended that users of devices containing MediaTek display drivers check with their device manufacturers for available updates and apply them as soon as possible.
Steps to take:
- Identify the MediaTek components in your system.
- Check with your device manufacturer for available updates.
- Apply the provided patch (ALPS10196993) or update your drivers to the latest version.
- Monitor your systems for any suspicious activity.
