CVE-2021-0554
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 isBackupServiceActive of BackupManagerService.java, there is a missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-11Android ID: A-158482162
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 confidenceIn Android-11, the BackupManagerService's isBackupServiceActive method lacks a permission check, allowing any local process to query backup service status without authorization. This enables local information disclosure where an app can determine whether backup services are active, potentially revealing sensitive backup-related configuration or operational state.
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= 11.0CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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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Verify Android versionCheck the device or system settings to confirm the Android version is exactly 11.0. On most devices, this is found under Settings > About Phone > Android version.Affected if The Android version is 11.0 (exact match)
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Confirm BackupManagerService presenceLocate the BackupManagerService component in the Android system. This is typically found in the system service layer as part of the Android backup framework.Affected if BackupManagerService is present and running on the device
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Check isBackupServiceActive method accessibilityExamine the BackupManagerService implementation or conduct a code audit to verify whether the isBackupServiceActive method enforces any permission check before returning backup service status.Affected if The isBackupServiceActive method lacks a permission check (such as CHECK_BACKUP_PERMISSION) and is callable by any local process
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Test backup service status queryUse a test application or ADB command to attempt calling the isBackupServiceActive method from a non-privileged process to determine if it returns backup service status without authorization.Affected if A non-privileged app can successfully query backup service status without any permission error
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Review app permissions on the deviceInspect installed applications to identify any untrusted or potentially malicious apps that have the capability to query system services.Affected if Any installed application can invoke the unprotected isBackupServiceActive method to reveal backup operational state
A device is affected if it runs Android 11.0 and the isBackupServiceActive method in BackupManagerService can be called by any local process without permission checks.
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 a permission check (typically CHECK_BACKUP_PERMISSION or equivalent) to the isBackupServiceActive method in BackupManagerService.java to ensure only authorized callers can query backup service status.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-0554 — 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-2021-0554 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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