# CVE-2025-20801: Race condition in MediaTek chipset

> A race condition in MediaTek chipsets allows local privilege escalation to System level, requiring a patch to mitigate memory corruption risks.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** No
- **Published:** 6 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 30 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x36q-999r-cw3g

## What is CVE-2025-20801?

CVE-2025-20801 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 6 Jan 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In seninf, there is a possible memory corruption due to a race condition. This could lead to local escalation of privilege if a malicious actor has already obtained the System privilege. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS10251210; Issue ID: MSV-4926.

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization), CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-20801?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-20801?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-20801 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-20801 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20801 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Android

- [CVE-2026-58704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58704/): Google Pixel Improper Authorization (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48543/): Android Runtime Use-After-Free (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-35674](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35674/): Android Framework Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48595/): Android Framework Integer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-32896](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32896/): Android Pixel Privilege Escalation (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-20801 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-20801 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 6 Jan 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20801 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Google Android. 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-2025-20801/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20801/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-20801
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20801
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-20801

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20801/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.