dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21055

MEDIUM · 6.4 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 →
66/100
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 dit_hal_ioctl of dit.c, there is a possible use after free due to a race condition. 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-244301523References: 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 use-after-free vulnerability exists in the dit_hal_ioctl function of dit.c in the Android kernel. Due to a race condition, memory is freed but subsequently accessed, creating a window for local privilege escalation from System execution privileges. No user interaction is required.

MitigationApply the latest Android security patch (Android kernel update) that addresses the race condition in dit.c. Until patched, limit exposure by restricting device access to trusted applications and users.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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 device is Android
    Run 'uname -a' or check /proc/version to verify the kernel is Android-based
    Affected if The device runs a Google Android kernel (all Android versions are affected)
  2. Identify the dit kernel module
    Check if the dit.ko or dit module is loaded via 'lsmod' or present in /proc/modules; examine kernel config for CONFIG_DIT or similar
    Affected if The dit module is present and loaded in the kernel, exposing the dit_hal_ioctl function
  3. Check Android Security Patch Level
    Navigate to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via adb
    Affected if The Security Patch Level is earlier than the date this CVE was fixed (no specific version range provided; all versions prior to patch are affected)
  4. Verify kernel version for dit.c presence
    Review kernel source or module metadata for dit.c and dit_hal_ioctl function; check /sys/module/dit/version if accessible
    Affected if The dit_hal_ioctl function from dit.c exists in the running kernel

The environment is affected if it is an Android device with the dit module containing dit_hal_ioctl and the Android Security Patch Level predates the CVE fix date.

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 latest Android security patch (Android kernel update) that addresses the race condition in dit.c. Until patched, limit exposure by restricting device access to trusted applications and users.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest Android Security Patch Level (monthly update containing fix for A-244301523)

  1. 1. Apply the latest Android Security Patch Level (SPL) for your Android version. This vulnerability was addressed in the Android security bulletin corresponding to the patch that includes this fix (Android ID A-244301523).
  2. 2. For devices with custom kernels, ensure the kernel is rebuilt with the fix for the race condition in dit_hal_ioctl (dit.c) that causes the use-after-free.
  3. 3. Verify the fix is applied by checking the Android Security Patch Level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level matches or exceeds the level that includes the fix for CVE-2023-21055.

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,880
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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-2023-21055 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