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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21052

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 setToExternal of ril_external_client.cpp, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-259063189References: 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

This is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Android's Radio Interface Layer (RIL) external client. The setToExternal function in ril_external_client.cpp lacks proper bounds checking, allowing an out-of-bounds write to memory. A local attacker with System-level privileges can exploit this to elevate to higher privileges. No user interaction is required.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for the relevant monthly security update that addresses this vulnerability. Organizations should ensure Android devices receive timely security updates, particularly those with System execution capabilities.

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. Confirm the RIL external client component exists on the device
    Check for the presence of ril_external_client library or service on the Android device. This is typically found in /system/lib/ or /vendor/lib/ directories, or as part of the vendor RIL daemon.
    Affected if The ril_external_client component is present on the device, which is the vulnerable component containing the setToExternal function.
  2. Verify System-level execution capability is present
    Determine if the device allows or has System-level privilege execution. This can be checked by examining if the device has root access, unlocked bootloader, or ADB with elevated privileges. Use 'whoami' or check for root binaries.
    Affected if The attacker requires System-level privileges as the initial exploitation vector; if System-level access exists, the device is potentially exploitable.
  3. Identify if the device is running a debug or engineer build
    Check the build fingerprint or type by examining /system/build.prop for 'ro.build.type' or 'ro.debuggable' properties. Engineer/debug builds often have the RIL external client more readily accessible.
    Affected if The device is a debug, engineer, or test build where the RIL external client interface is exposed or more easily accessible.
  4. Check for presence of external RIL client interface
    Look for the RIL external client socket or service interface. Typically located at /dev/socket/ or check for 'rilExternalClient' in system logs via 'logcat' or in system service listings.
    Affected if The RIL external client interface is exposed or running, enabling the path to exploit the setToExternal function.

A device is affected if it contains the RIL external client component and permits System-level execution, as the vulnerability requires both the vulnerable code and System privileges to be present for exploitation.

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 Android security patch for the relevant monthly security update that addresses this vulnerability. Organizations should ensure Android devices receive timely security updates, particularly those with System execution capabilities.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,120
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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-2023-21052 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