Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2026-20414 affects specific MediaTek chipsets. It is a local privilege escalation flaw in the imgsys component caused by use-after-free memory handling. An attacker must already have System privilege, but no user interaction is required. The business risk is mainly for affected devices where attackers can first gain high local privileges.
Executive priority
Treat as a targeted firmware hygiene issue, not an emergency internet-facing risk. Prioritize inventory and OEM update tracking for affected device fleets, especially where mobile, embedded, or unmanaged devices handle sensitive data.
Technical view
MediaTek describes a CWE-416 use-after-free in imgsys that may allow local escalation of privilege. CVSS is 6.7, AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Affected chipsets listed are MT6897, MT6989, MT8196, MT8678, MT8766, MT8768, MT8786, and MT8796. Patch ID is ALPS10362999; Issue ID is MSV-5625.
Likely exposure
Exposure depends on whether an organization owns devices using the listed MediaTek chipsets and whether OEM firmware includes MediaTek’s February 2026 fix. The CVE record states default status is unaffected outside the named products.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not indicate active exploitation, and KEV status is false. Exploitation is local, requires high privileges, and needs no user interaction. This makes it less likely as an initial-entry vulnerability but relevant in post-compromise escalation chains.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE record and MediaTek bulletin reference. No exploit details, proof of concept, or KEV listing are provided. Validation should focus on chipset presence, OEM firmware mapping, and whether the MediaTek patch was integrated by the device manufacturer.
Mitigation direction
- Identify devices using the affected MediaTek chipsets.
- Review MediaTek’s February 2026 bulletin for vendor remediation details.
- Obtain OEM firmware updates that incorporate Patch ID ALPS10362999.
- Prioritize managed or high-risk devices with exposed local attack paths.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether device hardware uses a listed MediaTek chipset.
- Check OEM security notes for CVE-2026-20414 or ALPS10362999.
- Verify installed firmware level against vendor guidance.
- Monitor CVE and vendor pages for revised affected-product information.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-20414 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.7 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H0.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.7MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://corp.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/February-2026CVE reference
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.