dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2021-0871

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-09-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 · unedited
In PVRSRVBridgePMRPDumpSymbolicAddr of the PowerVR kernel driver, a missing size check means there is a possible integer overflow that could allow out-of-bounds heap access. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android SoCAndroid ID: A-238921253

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 confidence

A missing size check in the PowerVR kernel driver's PVRSRVBridgePMRPDumpSymbolicAddr function allows an integer overflow, enabling out-of-bounds heap memory access. This can be exploited for local privilege escalation without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided security patch for the PowerVR kernel driver through the Android security update process. Android devices running affected SoCs should receive the latest security update addressing this vulnerability.

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
AndroidOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS 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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify PowerVR GPU in device
    Check device specifications or run 'lspci' (or 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' on some devices) to identify if the device uses a PowerVR GPU. Alternatively, check the SoC manufacturer documentation for your specific device model.
    Affected if Device contains a PowerVR GPU component
  2. Check Android security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADB to see the installed security patch date.
    Affected if Security patch level is earlier than the vendor fix date for this CVE
  3. Verify kernel driver presence
    Check if the PowerVR kernel module is loaded by running 'lsmod' or looking for 'pvrsrv' modules via 'find /sys -name *pvrsrv*' or checking /proc/modules if available.
    Affected if PowerVR kernel driver module is loaded and patch level is unfixed
  4. Confirm exploitability conditions
    Verify the device allows loading of kernel modules or has the PVRSRVBridgePMRPDumpSymbolicAddr function accessible. This function handles memory address symbolic resolution.
    Affected if The driver function is present and accessible without additional privileges

A user is affected if their Android device contains a PowerVR GPU and has not received the vendor security patch addressing this integer overflow in the PVRSRVBridgePMRPDumpSymbolicAddr function.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor-provided security patch for the PowerVR kernel driver through the Android security update process. Android devices running affected SoCs should receive the latest security update addressing this vulnerability.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest Android security bulletin containing fix for A-238921253 (refer to Android Security Bulletin for the month the fix was released)

  1. Check your current Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. Identify your device's SoC manufacturer (e.g., Qualcomm, MediaTek, Samsung, etc.) - PowerVR GPU is commonly found in devices with MediaTek or certain Qualcomm chipsets
  3. Contact your device OEM or carrier for the specific security update containing the fix for Android ID A-238921253
  4. Apply the latest available Android security update for your device
Caveat Kernel-level driver updates may have compatibility considerations; ensure backup of data before applying major updates

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,120
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-0871 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data