Overview
CVE-2025-20769 is a security vulnerability affecting MediaTek display drivers. This vulnerability allows a malicious actor, who has already obtained System privilege, to potentially escalate their privileges further due to a missing bounds check that leads to an out-of-bounds write. User interaction is not required to exploit this vulnerability.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the display driver code. Specifically, a missing bounds check allows an attacker to write data outside the allocated memory region. This out-of-bounds write can overwrite critical system data, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges. The root cause is a failure to validate the size or index of an input parameter when writing data within the display driver’s memory space.
The specific Patch ID addressing this issue is ALPS10196993, associated with Issue ID MSV-4804.
CVSS Analysis
The CVE details currently indicate a CVSS score of N/A (Not Available). This is often the case when a vulnerability is initially disclosed. However, based on the description (local privilege escalation without user interaction), it’s likely that upon assessment, it will receive a CVSS score reflecting a significant severity rating. A privilege escalation vulnerability typically results in a high CVSS score.
Possible Impact
The impact of CVE-2025-20769 is significant. A successful exploit could allow a local attacker with System privileges to gain further, potentially root-level, access to the affected device. This could lead to:
- Full control over the device.
- Data theft and modification.
- Installation of malware.
- Complete system compromise.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The recommended mitigation is to apply the security patch provided by MediaTek. Specifically, apply the patch identified by Patch ID ALPS10196993. Device manufacturers incorporating MediaTek display drivers should promptly integrate this patch into their respective software updates and distribute them to end-users. Check for updates released after December 2025.
- Check with your device manufacturer for available software updates.
- Install the latest available update to ensure the security patch is applied.
- Monitor MediaTek’s security bulletins for further updates and recommendations.
