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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21051

MEDIUM · 6.7 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 →
69/100
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 dwc3_exynos_clk_get of dwc3-exynos.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to an incorrect bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege in the kernel with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-259323322References: 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 · moderate confidence

A bounds check error in the dwc3_exynos_clk_get function of the Samsung Exynos USB driver (dwc3-exynos.c) allows an out-of-bounds write, enabling local privilege escalation from System privileges to kernel privileges. The vulnerability stems from an incorrect bounds check that fails to properly validate array indices before writing.

MitigationApply the kernel security patch for A-259323322 which corrects the bounds check in dwc3_exynos_clk_get. Until the patch is available, restrict local untrusted code execution and monitor for indicators of compromise.

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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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. Identify your device chipset architecture
    Check /sys/devices/soc0/soc_id or run 'getprop ro.hardware' or 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' to determine if the device uses a Samsung Exynos SoC versus another chipset like Qualcomm Snapdragon
    Affected if The device does not use a Samsung Exynos chipset - the vulnerable driver (dwc3-exynos.c) is specific to Exynos processors and only those devices are affected
  2. Verify the dwc3-exynos USB driver is present
    Check if the kernel module or driver is loaded by examining /sys/bus/platform/drivers/dwc3_exynos or searching for 'dwc3_exynos' in /proc/kallsyms, or check kernel config for CONFIG_USB_DWC3_EXYNOS
    Affected if The dwc3_exynos driver is not compiled or loaded - the vulnerability only applies when this specific Samsung USB driver is present in the kernel
  3. Confirm USB peripheral support is enabled
    Check kernel configuration or running config via /boot/config-* or /proc/config.gz for CONFIG_USB_DWC3 and CONFIG_USB_DWC3_EXYNOS options, or verify USB gadget/OTG functionality is active on the device
    Affected if USB device/gadget mode support is disabled - the vulnerability in dwc3_exynos_clk_get only triggers when USB peripheral support is actively configured and in use
  4. Compare your kernel version to patch timeline
    Check running kernel version via 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version' and cross-reference with Android security patch levels - the fix A-259323322 was released in Google's monthly Android security bulletins
    Affected if The kernel version predates the A-259323322 patch release date and the device runs an unpatched Android kernel with the Exynos USB driver present and active

A device is affected only if it uses a Samsung Exynos SoC, has the dwc3_exynos USB driver compiled and loaded, has USB peripheral mode enabled, and is running a kernel version predating the A-259323322 security patch.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the kernel security patch for A-259323322 which corrects the bounds check in dwc3_exynos_clk_get. Until the patch is available, restrict local untrusted code execution and monitor for indicators of compromise.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,420
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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-2023-21051 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
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