CVE-2022-20478 in Android
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2022
In NotificationChannel of NotificationChannel.java, there is a possible failure to persist permissions settings due to resource exhaustion. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10 Android-11 Android-12 Android-12L Android-13Android ID: A-241764135
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-20478 resides within the Android notification system, specifically in the NotificationChannel.java implementation where a resource exhaustion condition can prevent proper persistence of permission settings. This flaw exists in multiple Android versions including Android 10 through Android 13, making it a widespread concern across the Android ecosystem. The issue stems from inadequate resource management during the notification channel permission handling process, where system resources become exhausted during the permission setting persistence mechanism.
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that can lead to local privilege escalation without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction for exploitation. The root cause lies in the failure to properly manage system resources during the permission persistence process, which can result in incomplete or failed permission setting operations. When resource exhaustion occurs during this critical phase, the system may not properly save the intended permission configurations, potentially allowing unauthorized access to notification channels that should be restricted.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple permission bypass scenarios, as it creates potential attack vectors for malicious applications to gain elevated privileges within the Android operating system. Attackers can exploit this weakness to manipulate notification channel permissions and potentially access sensitive information or system resources that should remain protected. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-404 indicates improper resource management, specifically resource exhaustion, which is a well-documented weakness in software security that can lead to various escalation scenarios.
From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques where adversaries can leverage system resource management flaws to gain elevated access rights. The lack of user interaction requirement makes this particularly dangerous as it can be exploited automatically without any user awareness or consent. The resource exhaustion aspect aligns with techniques involving system resource manipulation and can potentially be combined with other attack vectors to create more sophisticated exploitation scenarios.
Mitigation strategies should focus on proper resource management within the notification channel permission handling system, ensuring adequate memory allocation and cleanup procedures during permission persistence operations. Android security patches should address the underlying resource exhaustion conditions and implement proper error handling for permission setting operations. System administrators and developers should monitor for updated security patches and ensure timely deployment of fixes. Additionally, application developers should implement proper resource management practices in their own notification handling code to prevent similar issues in third-party applications that may interact with the vulnerable system components. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust resource management in system-level components and demonstrates how seemingly minor resource handling issues can lead to significant security implications across the entire operating system.