dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21072

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 rtt_unpack_xtlv_cbfn of dhd_rtt.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a buffer overflow. 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-257290781References: 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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in Android kernel's Wi-Fi RTT (802.11mc) driver (dhd_rtt.c). The rtt_unpack_xtlv_cbfn function fails to properly validate buffer boundaries when parsing XTLV data, allowing an out-of-bounds write that can be exploited for local privilege escalation from any local process to System privileges without user interaction.

MitigationApply the Android security patch level that addresses A-257290781. This is a kernel driver vulnerability requiring a vendor-supplied firmware or kernel update; no user-facing configuration can mitigate it.

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 Android platform is in use
    Verify the device runs Google Android OS by checking system properties (getprop ro.build.fingerprint or getprop ro.product.model) or checking for /system/build.prop
    Affected if Device runs any version of Android OS
  2. Check if Wi-Fi RTT (802.11mc) driver component exists
    Look for the dhd_rtt.c driver module in the kernel or Wi-Fi firmware directory. On Android, check /system/lib/modules or /vendor/lib/modules for Wi-Fi driver files, or check kernel config for CONFIG_DHD_RTT or similar RTT-related kernel options
    Affected if The vulnerable dhd_rtt.c driver component is present in the system
  3. Verify Wi-Fi RTT functionality is accessible
    Test if Wi-Fi RTT (IEEE 802.11mc) is available by checking Wi-Fi capabilities via settings or using commands like 'wpa_cli status' or Android Wi-Fi RTT APIs. Check if RTT ranging can be initiated
    Affected if Wi-Fi RTT feature is enabled and accessible on the device (the driver is loaded and functional)
  4. Check kernel/system build for patch status
    Review the Android security patch level via Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level or using 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch'. Compare against the A-257290781 patch date
    Affected if Security patch level predates the fix for A-257290781 or is unpatched

A device is affected if it runs Android OS with the vulnerable dhd_rtt.c Wi-Fi RTT driver present and loaded, and the system lacks the vendor-supplied security update addressing A-257290781.

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 level that addresses A-257290781. This is a kernel driver vulnerability requiring a vendor-supplied firmware or kernel update; no user-facing configuration can mitigate it.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence
  1. Check the Android Security Bulletin for the month when this vulnerability was patched (Android ID A-257290781)
  2. Apply the latest Android security patch update for your device from your device manufacturer or carrier
  3. For source-level fixes, obtain the patched dhd_rtt.c file from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) repository after the fix commit date
Caveat Security patches may vary by device manufacturer; ensure your specific device model receives the relevant security update

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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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-2023-21072 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