# CVE-2020-0009: Privilege escalation in Android

> Local attackers can escalate privileges by exploiting a permissions bypass in the Android kernel's ashmem driver to corrupt shared memory.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 8 Jan 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2020-0009, GHSA-66j5-w5hg-38pg, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-0009

## What is CVE-2020-0009?

CVE-2020-0009 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 8 Jan 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In calc_vm_may_flags of ashmem.c, there is a possible arbitrary write to shared memory due to a permissions bypass. This could lead to local escalation of privilege by corrupting memory shared between processes, with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Product: Android Versions: Android kernel Android ID: A-142938932

Weakness: CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-0009?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-0009?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2020-0009 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-0009 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Android - ashmem Readonly Bypasses via remap_file_pages() and ASHMEM_UNPIN (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-0009 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-0009 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 8 Jan 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-0009 exists.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0009/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0009/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-0009
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-0009
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-0009

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0009/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.