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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21041

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 append_to_params of param_util.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to an incorrect bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-250123688References: N/A

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

This is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the Android kernel's param_util.c file in the append_to_params function, caused by an incorrect bounds check. The vulnerability allows local privilege escalation without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied Android kernel security patch for CVE-2023-21041 to correct the bounds check in param_util.c's append_to_params function.

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:all versions

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 security patch level
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' or check /system/build.prop for the ro.build.version.security_patch property
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the vendor release date for the CVE-2023-21041 fix (typically February 2023 or later)
  2. Check kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to obtain the running kernel version
    Affected if The kernel version is older than the patched kernel version containing the param_util.c fix for this vulnerability
  3. Verify vulnerable kernel config or module
    Check if the kernel was built with CONFIG_MODULES=y (kernel module support) or specifically check for the presence of the append_to_params function in the kernel source by examining /proc/kallsyms if accessible
    Affected if The kernel has module support enabled and contains the vulnerable append_to_params function in param_util.c without the corrected bounds check

A user is affected if their Android device runs a kernel version or security patch level that predates the vendor fix for the bounds check vulnerability in param_util.c's append_to_params function.

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 vendor-supplied Android kernel security patch for CVE-2023-21041 to correct the bounds check in param_util.c's append_to_params function.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android Security Patch Level January 2023 or later (kernel update required)

  1. Check the Android Security Bulletin for the month this CVE was addressed (CVE-2023-21041 corresponds to the January 2023 Android Security Bulletin)
  2. Apply the January 2023 Android Security Patch Level (SPL) or later to your device
  3. Verify the patch level by going to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level and confirming it shows January 2023 or later
  4. For enterprise/IT-managed Android devices, deploy the update through your mobile device management (MDM) console with the January 2023 security update
Caveat Standard Android monthly security update - minimal risk; updates contain only security fixes and bug fixes

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2023-21041 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