dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-20993

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-24
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 multiple functions of SnoozeHelper.java, there is a possible failure to persist settings due to an uncaught exception. This could lead to local escalation of privilege 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-261588851

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 · moderate confidence

In multiple functions of Android's SnoozeHelper.java, uncaught exceptions cause failures in persisting alarm snooze settings. This could allow a local attacker to escalate privileges by manipulating the alarm snooze functionality, with no additional execution privileges or user interaction required.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for the applicable Android version (Android-11 through Android-13) that includes the fix for A-261588851 in SnoozeHelper.java.

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:= 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
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 Android version
    Run 'adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release' or go to Settings > About Phone > Android version
    Affected if Version is exactly 13.0 (the only affected version listed)
  2. Verify Clock app is present
    Run 'adb shell pm list packages | grep -i clock' to check if Google's Clock/Alarms app is installed
    Affected if Clock app package (com.google.android.deskclock) is installed and in use
  3. Check logcat for SnoozeHelper exceptions
    Run 'adb logcat -d | grep -i SnoozeHelper' to look for uncaught exception traces from SnoozeHelper.java
    Affected if Exception traces mentioning SnoozeHelper are present in logs
  4. Verify alarm persistence functionality
    Set an alarm, enable snooze, then reboot. Check if snooze settings persist via 'adb shell content query --uri content://com.google.android.deskclock/alarms'
    Affected if Snooze settings fail to persist across reboots or alarm updates
  5. Check for alarm service failures
    Run 'adb logcat -d | grep -i "alarm" | grep -i "fail\|error\|exception"' to identify alarm-related failures
    Affected if Failures or exceptions related to alarm snooze operations appear in system logs

User is affected if running Android 13.0 and experiences alarm snooze settings failing to persist or sees SnoozeHelper exceptions in system logs.

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 the applicable Android version (Android-11 through Android-13) that includes the fix for A-261588851 in SnoozeHelper.java.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android Security Patch Level May 2023 or later (depending on device-specific rollout)

  1. Check your device's current Android Security Patch Level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. Verify if your device has received the Android Security Bulletin from May 2023 or later which addresses CVE-2023-20993 (Android ID A-261588851)
  3. If not yet updated, check with your device manufacturer or carrier for available security updates that include the fix for this vulnerability
  4. Apply the available security update that includes the May 2023 Android Security Bulletin or later
Caveat Security updates are generally backward-compatible; however, verify device compatibility and backup data before applying updates

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,060
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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-2023-20993 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