dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-20922

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-26
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 setMimeGroup of PackageManagerService.java, there is a possible crash loop due to resource exhaustion. This could lead to local denial of service with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-11 Android-12 Android-12L Android-13Android ID: A-237291548

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 PackageManagerService, the setMimeGroup function contains a resource exhaustion vulnerability that can cause a crash loop, resulting in local denial of service. No special privileges or user interaction are required for exploitation, affecting Android versions 11 through 13.

MitigationApply the Android security patch level that includes the fix for this vulnerability (A-237291548). Organizations should ensure devices receive regular security updates from their device manufacturers or carriers.

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:= 11.0= 12.0= 12.1= 13.0

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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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. Verify Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version and note the installed version number
    Affected if The version is 11.0, 12.0, 12.1, or 13.0 exactly as listed in the affected versions
  2. Check Security Patch Level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level and record the date shown
    Affected if The security patch level is older than the patch that includes the A-237291548 fix, or the device has not received the corresponding Android security update
  3. Confirm patch inclusion in update
    Check the Android Security Bulletin for the month that includes A-237291548 and verify if your device security patch level matches or exceeds that bulletin
    Affected if The installed security patch level predates the bulletin containing the fix for A-237291548 or the device has not received this specific update
  4. Identify device manufacturer update status
    Contact your device manufacturer or carrier to confirm whether the A-237291548 fix has been delivered to your specific device model
    Affected if The manufacturer has not released or deployed the security update containing the fix for this vulnerability to your device

You are affected if your device runs Android 11.0, 12.0, 12.1, or 13.0 and has not received the security patch that includes the A-237291548 fix.

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 level that includes the fix for this vulnerability (A-237291548). Organizations should ensure devices receive regular security updates from their device manufacturers or carriers.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android 14 (or ensure the device receives the Android security update containing the fix for CVE-2023-20922)

  1. 1. Backup all important data from the Android device
  2. 2. Navigate to Settings > System > Software Update (or Settings > About Phone > System Update)
  3. 3. Check for available updates and download Android 14 if available
  4. 4. Ensure the device installs the latest Android Security Patch Level after updating
Caveat Upgrading to a major Android version may cause compatibility issues with older apps or require reconfiguration of device settings

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,280
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-20922 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