CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2019-15027 — Mediatek Mt8163 Firmware security vulnerability

Critical CVSS 9.8

The MediaTek Embedded Multimedia Card (eMMC) subsystem for Android on MT65xx, MT66xx, and MT8163 SoC devices allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands as root via shell metacharacters in a filename under /data, because clear_emmc_nomedia_entry in platform/mt6577/external/meta/emmc/meta_clr_emmc.c invokes 'system("/system/bin/rm -r /data/' followed by this filename upon an eMMC clearance from a Meta Mode boot. NOTE: compromise of Fire OS on the Amazon Echo Dot would require a second hypothetical vulnerability that allows creation of the required file under /data.

Severity
Critical
CVSS
9.8 (3.0)
Published
2019-08-14
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
operating-system
Weaknesses
CWE-78

Affected products

  • mediatek / mt8163_firmware
  • mediatek / mt6625_firmware
  • mediatek / mt6577_firmware

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

The detailed catalog view below loads this exact record, its source evidence, and the full seven-phase agentic change plan.