CVE-2021-0461
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 iaxxx_core_sensor_change_state of iaxxx-module.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-175124074
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 missing bounds check in the iaxxx_core_sensor_change_state function of the iaxxx-module.c kernel driver allows an out-of-bounds write. An attacker with system-level execution privileges can exploit this to escalate privileges to root on affected Android devices.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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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Identify if the iaxxx kernel driver is presentCheck for iaxxx-module.c or iaxxx driver in the kernel or loaded modules. On Android, examine /proc/modules, /sys/module/, or check kernel configuration for CONFIG_INVENSION_IAXXX or similar driver configuration options.Affected if The iaxxx driver is loaded or compiled into the kernel and the system has the vulnerable function iaxxx_core_sensor_change_state present.
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Verify the affected function exists in the driverIf the driver binary/module is available, inspect it for the iaxxx_core_sensor_change_state symbol. On Android devices with kernel debug symbols, use nm or objdump on the compiled driver module.Affected if The iaxxx_core_sensor_change_state function is found in the loaded driver, indicating the potentially vulnerable code path exists.
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Confirm system-level execution accessNote that exploitation requires system-level execution privileges (root or system-level access). Check the current process privileges using 'id' command or verify if the device has restricted root access.Affected if An attacker already has system-level execution privileges, which is required to reach the vulnerable driver function.
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Assess driver version against patch statusContact the device vendor or kernel source to determine if the bounds check fix has been applied to iaxxx_core_sensor_change_state. There is no public version number; detection relies on vendor confirmation or binary analysis for the missing bounds check.Affected if The driver has not received the vendor patch that adds proper bounds validation before array access in the iaxxx sensor state change logic.
A system is affected if it has the iaxxx kernel driver with the iaxxx_core_sensor_change_state function and that driver code lacks the bounds validation fix, combined with an attacker having system-level execution privileges.
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 vendor-provided kernel patch that adds proper bounds validation before array access in the iaxxx sensor state change logic.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-0461 — 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-2021-0461 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
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