MediaTek MT8910 Firmware: Use-after-free in APU component
Summary
MediaTek's APU (AI processing unit) component contains a use-after-free flaw that can corrupt memory. A local attacker with code execution on the device can use it to escalate privileges, and no user interaction is needed. The vendor rates the issue Medium in its October 2026 bulletin, and the CVE data gives a CVSS 8.4 score that we could not verify against NVD.
Affected
- MediaTek MT8910 chipset firmware (CPE: Mediatek / Mt8910 Firmware)
- According to the CVE record, also affected: MT6899, MT6993, MT8668, MT8781, MT8793
- Default configuration: unaffected (per the CVE record)
- Affected firmware versions: Unknown.
Fixed in
- Patch ID ALPS11249016 (issue MSV-9169), published in the MediaTek October 2026 security bulletin
- Fixed firmware versions: Unknown. Availability depends on the device maker (OEM).
Workaround
Unknown.
Exploitation
- MediaTek states it is not aware of active exploitation in the wild.
- CISA SSVC assessment in the CVE record: Exploitation none, Automatable no, Technical Impact total.
- No public proof of concept found.
Our recommendation
- Identify devices with affected MediaTek chips and check whether the device maker has released the update with patch ALPS11249016.
- Install the OEM firmware update as soon as it is available for each device.
- On managed devices, restrict installation of untrusted apps, because a local attacker needs code execution first.
- Monitor the vendor bulletin for updates.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- MediaTek October 2026 Product Security Bulletin www.mediatek.com
- VulDB CVE-2026-20531 vuldb.com
- GBHackers: MediaTek fixes 31 security flaws gbhackers.com
- CyberPress: MediaTek fixes 31 chipset vulnerabilities cyberpress.org
- SOCRadar CVE Radar CVE-2026-20531 socradar.io
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 1 Nov 2026, 12:55.
Original description (NVD)
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 references (1)
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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