CVE-2022-38676 is a medium severity vulnerability identified in the GPU driver of several Unisoc (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd. chipsets, including SC9863A, SC9832E, SC7731E, and multiple T-series models such as T610, T310, T606, T760, T618, T612, T616, T770, T820, and S8000. These chipsets are commonly integrated into Android devices running Android 10, 11, and 12. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-787, an out-of-bounds write due to a missing bounds check in the GPU driver code. This flaw allows a local attacker with limited privileges (low complexity, requiring low privileges and no user interaction) to write data outside the intended memory bounds. The consequence of this out-of-bounds write is a potential denial of service (DoS) condition at the kernel level, causing the affected device to crash or become unresponsive. The CVSS v3.1 score is 5.5 (medium severity), reflecting that the vulnerability impacts availability (kernel DoS) without compromising confidentiality or integrity. Exploitation requires local access and low privileges but does not require user interaction. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no patches are currently linked, indicating that mitigation may rely on vendor updates or device firmware upgrades. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Unisoc chipsets used in budget and mid-range Android smartphones, which are prevalent in various markets worldwide, including Europe. The technical root cause is a missing bounds check in the GPU driver, which is critical for graphics processing and system stability. Successful exploitation can disrupt device availability, impacting user experience and potentially interrupting business operations relying on affected mobile devices.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-38676 primarily concerns availability disruption on mobile devices using affected Unisoc chipsets. Many European enterprises and public sector entities rely on Android smartphones for communication, remote work, and mobile applications. A local attacker exploiting this vulnerability could cause device crashes or kernel panics, leading to denial of service. While the attack requires local access and low privileges, it could be leveraged in scenarios where an attacker gains physical access or compromises a less privileged app or process on the device. This could disrupt critical communications, mobile workforce productivity, or access to enterprise apps. Although confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, repeated or targeted DoS attacks could degrade trust in mobile device reliability. The vulnerability is less likely to be exploited remotely or at scale but poses a risk in environments where devices are shared, lost, or exposed to malicious insiders. Additionally, organizations in sectors with high mobility or field operations (e.g., logistics, utilities, healthcare) may face operational interruptions if affected devices become unstable. The lack of known exploits and patches suggests a window of exposure until vendors release firmware updates, emphasizing the need for proactive risk management.

1. Inventory and identify devices using affected Unisoc chipsets and running Android 10, 11, or 12 within the organization. 2. Monitor vendor communications and security advisories from Unisoc and device manufacturers for firmware or driver updates addressing CVE-2022-38676. 3. Apply firmware or OS updates promptly once patches are available to remediate the out-of-bounds write vulnerability. 4. Restrict local access to devices by enforcing strong physical security controls and device lock policies to reduce risk of local exploitation. 5. Limit installation of untrusted or unnecessary applications that could attempt local privilege escalation or exploit kernel vulnerabilities. 6. Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies, monitor device health, and remotely wipe or quarantine compromised devices. 7. Educate users on the importance of device security and reporting unusual crashes or instability that may indicate exploitation attempts. 8. For high-risk environments, consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of detecting anomalous kernel activity or crashes related to GPU driver faults. 9. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests on mobile device fleets to identify and mitigate local privilege escalation or DoS vulnerabilities.