CVE-2022-20447 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2022
In PAN_WriteBuf of pan_api.cc, there is a possible out of bounds read due to a use after free. This could lead to remote information disclosure over Bluetooth with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-13Android ID: A-233604485
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-20447 represents a critical security flaw within the Android Bluetooth subsystem that manifests through a use after free condition in the PAN_WriteBuf function located in pan_api.cc. This particular implementation flaw occurs within the Personal Area Network (PAN) profile handling code that manages Bluetooth connections between devices. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management where freed memory locations are accessed after being deallocated, creating a scenario where an attacker can potentially read data from memory regions that should no longer be accessible. The use after free condition typically arises when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed by the system, leading to undefined behavior and potential data exposure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through Bluetooth communication channels where an attacker can craft malicious packets to trigger the memory corruption. When the PAN_WriteBuf function processes incoming Bluetooth data, it fails to properly validate memory references after certain operations, allowing for out of bounds read conditions to occur. This particular flaw is classified under CWE-416 as a use after free vulnerability, which represents a common class of memory safety issues that can lead to information disclosure, denial of service, or potentially arbitrary code execution depending on the memory layout. The vulnerability specifically affects Android 13 operating systems and is identified by the Android ID A-233604485, indicating its severity and the specific codebase affected.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables remote attackers to potentially extract sensitive data from the device's memory through Bluetooth connections without requiring any additional privileges or user interaction. The lack of user interaction requirements makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited automatically by attackers within range of the target device. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves the use of network service scanning to identify potential attack vectors, and T1059 which covers the execution of commands through network protocols. The information disclosure aspect of this vulnerability could expose device identifiers, connection parameters, or other sensitive data that could be leveraged for further attacks within the Bluetooth ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the Android operating system through official security updates provided by Google. Organizations and users should ensure their Android 13 devices are updated with the latest security patches that address the memory management issues in the PAN profile handling code. Additionally, network administrators should implement Bluetooth security policies that limit unnecessary exposure of Bluetooth services and consider disabling Bluetooth when not actively needed. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management in security-critical code sections and emphasizes the need for thorough code reviews and automated memory safety testing. Security monitoring should include detection of anomalous Bluetooth traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and system administrators should consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of Bluetooth-based attacks. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Guidelines, particularly those addressing memory management and resource handling in mobile operating systems.