dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2021-0932

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-12-15
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 showNotification of NavigationModeController.java, there is a possible confused deputy due to an unsafe PendingIntent. This could lead to local escalation of privilege that allows actions performed as the System UI with User execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10Android ID: A-173025705

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

In the NavigationModeController.java within Android System UI, an unsafe PendingIntent in the showNotification method creates a confused deputy vulnerability. The PendingIntent allows a local attacker to execute actions with System UI privileges, achieving local privilege escalation without user interaction.

MitigationThis is an Android framework vulnerability requiring a security patch from Google. Organizations should ensure Android devices receive timely system updates. Developers building custom Android distributions must secure the PendingIntent by using appropriate flags (e.g., FLAG_IMMUTABLE) and validating intent targets.

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:= 10.0

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. Check the Android version installed on the device
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shell
    Affected if The version is exactly 10.0 (Android 10)
  2. Identify the System UI package version
    Run 'dumpsys package com.android.systemui' via ADB shell to retrieve the System UI version information
    Affected if The package version corresponds to the Android 10.0 release and contains the vulnerable NavigationModeController component
  3. Inspect NavigationModeController.java for PendingIntent vulnerability
    If you have access to the source or can decompile the System UI APK, examine the showNotification method in NavigationModeController.java for the PendingIntent creation
    Affected if The PendingIntent is created without FLAG_IMMUTABLE or FLAG_MUTABLE is explicitly set, allowing intent hijacking
  4. Check if the vulnerable notification channel is active
    Run 'dumpsys notification' via ADB shell and look for System UI navigation mode related notifications
    Affected if Notifications from System UI are being posted that use the unsafe PendingIntent for their actions

A device is affected if it runs Android 10.0 and the System UI contains the vulnerable NavigationModeController code with an unsafe PendingIntent configuration in the showNotification method.

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

This is an Android framework vulnerability requiring a security patch from Google. Organizations should ensure Android devices receive timely system updates. Developers building custom Android distributions must secure the PendingIntent by using appropriate flags (e.g., FLAG_IMMUTABLE) and validating intent targets.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 11 (API 30) or later, or Android 10 with January 2022 Security Patch Level

  1. Check if your device has received the January 2022 Android Security Patch Level (SPL) or later for Android 10
  2. If available, apply the system update through Settings > System > Software Update
  3. If the device manufacturer has not released an update for Android 10, upgrade to Android 11 (API level 30) or later which contains the fix
  4. After updating, verify the patch level by going to Settings > About Phone > Android version and confirming the Security Patch Level shows January 2022 or later
Caveat Upgrading to a newer Android version may cause compatibility issues with apps or custom configurations; some device features may change

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,680
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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-2021-0932 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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