CVE-2022-20484 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-242702851
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-20484 resides within the NotificationChannel implementation in Android's system framework, specifically within the NotificationChannel.java file. This issue represents a critical permission management flaw that stems from inadequate resource handling during the persistence of notification channel permissions. The vulnerability manifests when the system attempts to store permission settings for notification channels but fails to do so properly due to resource exhaustion conditions. The root cause lies in the improper management of system resources during the permission persistence process, which creates a potential attack vector for privilege escalation.
The technical flaw occurs when the NotificationChannel component encounters resource constraints during the permission settings persistence operation. This resource exhaustion can stem from various factors including memory limitations, file descriptor exhaustion, or other system resource constraints that prevent the proper writing of permission configurations to persistent storage. When these conditions occur, the system fails to maintain the intended permission state for notification channels, creating inconsistencies in the access control model. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-404 as improper resource management and aligns with CWE-264 for permissions, privileges, and access control issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables local privilege escalation without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction. An attacker with local system access can exploit this flaw to gain elevated privileges by manipulating notification channel permissions. The absence of user interaction requirements makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited automatically without any user awareness or consent. This represents a direct violation of Android's security model where notification channel permissions should be properly enforced and persisted to prevent unauthorized access to system resources and services.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through system permissions manipulation and resource exhaustion attacks. The attacker can leverage this weakness to modify notification channel permissions in ways that could allow access to sensitive system components or services that should normally be restricted. The exploitation process involves triggering resource exhaustion conditions during permission setting operations, which then causes the system to fail to properly persist the intended permission states. This creates a window where the attacker can manipulate the permission model to gain elevated access rights.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-20484 should focus on implementing robust resource management practices within the NotificationChannel component. System administrators should ensure that Android devices are updated to versions that contain patches addressing this vulnerability, as Google has released security updates for affected Android versions including Android 10 through Android 13. The recommended approach includes implementing proper resource allocation and cleanup mechanisms to prevent resource exhaustion during permission persistence operations. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual resource consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, as this vulnerability specifically targets local privilege escalation scenarios.