CVE-2019-2233
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIn getUserCount and getCount of UserSwitcherController.java, there is possible new user creation due to a logic error. This could lead to local escalation of privilege for an attacker who has physical access to the device with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10Android ID: A-140486529
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA logic error in getUserCount and getCount methods of UserSwitcherController.java in Android-10 allows physically present attackers to create new users without authentication, resulting in local privilege escalation.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 10.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Android version is 10.0Run 'adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release' or go to Settings > About Phone > Android version. Confirm the version reads exactly 10.0Affected if Version is exactly 10.0 (only this version is affected)
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Verify multi-user support is enabledCheck if the device allows multiple users by running 'adb shell pm list users' or examining Settings > Users & accounts > UsersAffected if Multiple users can be created or the user switcher is accessible on the lock screen or settings
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Confirm UserSwitcher is exposed via settingsInspect if UserSwitcherController is active by checking if 'getUserCount' and 'getCount' methods in the system handle user enumeration. This can be observed by attempting to access user creation functionality through Settings > Users > Add userAffected if User creation options are available without additional authentication prompts
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Check for lock screen user switcherOn the lock screen, observe if a user icon or switcher is visible that allows switching to another user profile without authenticating firstAffected if The lock screen displays a user switcher that does not require credentials to access
A device is affected if it runs Android 10.0 and has the multi-user or user switcher feature enabled, allowing unauthenticated user creation via the UserSwitcherController logic flaw.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply the Android security patch for A-140486529 to fix the logic error in UserSwitcherController.java that allows unauthorized user creation.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-2233 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-2233 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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