dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2021-39625

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-01-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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 showCarrierAppInstallationNotification of EuiccNotificationManager.java, there is a possible way to gain an access to MediaProvider content due to an unsafe PendingIntent. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with User execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-10 Android-11 Android-12 Android-9Android ID: A-194695347

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 EuiccNotificationManager.java, the showCarrierAppInstallationNotification method creates an unsafe PendingIntent that could be hijacked by malicious applications. This allows a local attacker to gain unauthorized access to MediaProvider content with the privileges of the notification sender, achieving local privilege escalation.

MitigationFix the PendingIntent by using FLAG_IMMUTABLE or FLAG_MUTABLE with appropriate safeguards to prevent intent hijacking. Ensure the PendingIntent is properly scoped to prevent access to MediaProvider content.

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:= 9.0= 10.0= 11.0= 12.0

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
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/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 Android version
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android version
    Affected if The version is 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0 exactly (these are the affected versions per the CVE)
  2. Verify eUICCs/eSIM functionality is present
    Check for eSIM profile availability by inspecting 'getprop ro.telephony.euicc' or checking Settings > Connections > SIM card manager for eSIM options
    Affected if The device supports eUICCs (embedded SIM) - the vulnerable code path requires this feature to be present and callable
  3. Confirm EuiccNotificationManager component is exposed
    Check if the EuiccNotificationManager system service is accessible via 'dumpsys' or by examining app ops - run 'dumpsys app system' and look for EuiccNotificationManager references
    Affected if The EuiccNotificationManager service exists and is callable on the device (it is included in Android framework for versions 9-12)
  4. Identify if carrier apps are installed
    Check for carrier-provided apps in /system/app or /data/app that may invoke the showCarrierAppInstallationNotification method
    Affected if Carrier apps that could trigger the vulnerable notification flow are installed and active on the device

A device is affected if it runs Android 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0 AND has eUICCs/eSIM support AND has the EuiccNotificationManager component present - the vulnerability exists in the framework code itself for these versions regardless of user-installed apps, but exploitation requires the eSIM functionality to be accessible.

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

Fix the PendingIntent by using FLAG_IMMUTABLE or FLAG_MUTABLE with appropriate safeguards to prevent intent hijacking. Ensure the PendingIntent is properly scoped to prevent access to MediaProvider content.

Recommended fix High confidence

December 2021 Android Security Patch Level (2021-12-01) or later for Android 9, 10, 11, and 12

  1. Check your Android device's current security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android version or Settings > Security > Security update
  2. Ensure your device receives and installs the December 2021 Android Security Update or later
  3. Go to Settings > System > Software Update (or Settings > About Phone > Software Update) and check for updates
  4. If an update is available, download and install it to apply the security patch that fixes CVE-2021-39625
  5. After updating, verify the security patch level shows December 2021 or later under Settings > About Phone > Android version

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
44.0 hours of engineering $7,720
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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-2021-39625 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