MediaTek APU Use-After-Free Local Priv Escalation (CVE-2026-20531)
CVE-2026-20531 Published on October 5, 2026

In apu, there is a possible memory corruption due to use after free. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS11249016; Issue ID: MSV-9169.

NVD

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-20531 can be exploited with local system access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to be very high.

Attack Vector:
LOCAL
Attack Complexity:
LOW
Privileges Required:
NONE
User Interaction:
NONE
Scope:
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality Impact:
HIGH
Integrity Impact:
HIGH
Availability Impact:
HIGH

Weakness Type

What is a Dangling pointer Vulnerability?

Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code.

CVE-2026-20531 has been classified to as a Dangling pointer vulnerability or weakness.


Affected Versions

MediaTek, Inc. MediaTek chipset: