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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2021-39747

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-03-30
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 Settings Provider, there is a possible way to list values of non-readable global settings due to a permissions bypass. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-12LAndroid ID: A-208268457

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 Android's Settings Provider, a permissions bypass exists that allows a local attacker to list values of global settings that should be protected as non-readable. This enables unauthorized access to sensitive configuration data without requiring elevated privileges or user interaction.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for CVE-2021-39747 (March 2022 Android Security Bulletin or later) to affected devices running Android-12L. Organizations should ensure devices receive timely system updates from device manufacturers.

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:= 12.1

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check Android version is 12.1
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android version. The vulnerable version is Android 12.1 (Android 12L).
    Affected if Version shows 12.1 or 12L (exact match required)
  2. Verify Settings Provider package version
    Use ADB to run 'dumpsys package com.android.providers.settings' and check the version name or version code.
    Affected if Settings Provider is the vulnerable version included with Android 12.1 base build
  3. Check security patch level
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to see the installed patch date.
    Affected if Patch level is earlier than March 2022 (the bulletin that addressed CVE-2021-39747)
  4. Identify exposed global settings
    Use ADB to query global settings with 'settings get global <setting_name>' for potentially sensitive settings that should be protected.
    Affected if Protected global settings are readable without proper permission enforcement (this indicates the bypass is active)

Device is affected if running Android 12.1 (12L) with a security patch level earlier than March 2022, and protected global settings are accessible without proper permissions.

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 Android security patch for CVE-2021-39747 (March 2022 Android Security Bulletin or later) to affected devices running Android-12L. Organizations should ensure devices receive timely system updates from device manufacturers.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android Security Patch Level March 2022 or later (S1 and above)

  1. Navigate to Settings > Security on the affected Android device
  2. Tap on 'Security update' or 'Google Security Policy' to check the current patch level
  3. Ensure the device is updated to the March 2022 security patch level (S1) or later
  4. If an update is available, download and install it immediately
  5. After updating, verify the patch level again to confirm the fix is applied
Caveat Standard Android security patch updates typically have no breaking changes; this is a routine monthly security update

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2021-39747 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