CVE-2023-21115
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 · uneditedIn btm_sec_encrypt_change of btm_sec.cc, there is a possible way to downgrade the link key type due to improperly used crypto. This could lead to paired device escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-11 Android-12 Android-12LAndroid ID: A-258834033
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 confidenceThis is a Bluetooth stack vulnerability in Android where improper cryptographic implementation in btm_sec_encrypt_change (btm_sec.cc) allows a paired device to downgrade the link key type. This downgrade enables a previously paired device to escalate privileges without any user interaction or additional execution privileges needed.
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= 11.0= 12.0= 12.1CVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check Android versionGo to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release'Affected if Version is 11.0, 12.0, or 12.1
-
Verify Bluetooth is enabledGo to Settings > Bluetooth and confirm toggle is ON, or run 'adb shell settings get global bluetooth_on'Affected if Bluetooth is turned on (value is 1)
-
Check for paired Bluetooth devicesGo to Settings > Bluetooth > Paired devices list, or run 'adb shell content query --uri content://com.android.bluetooth.provider.SettingsSecure --projection value --where "name='paired_devices'"'Affected if One or more devices are listed as paired
A device is affected if it runs Android 11.0, 12.0, or 12.1 with Bluetooth enabled and has at least one previously paired Bluetooth device, allowing a paired device to downgrade the link key type and escalate privileges.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply the Android security patch for the affected version (Android-11, Android-12, Android-12L). Organizations should ensure devices receive regular monthly security updates, particularly the Google Play system update containing the Bluetooth security fix.
Android 13 or later with latest security patches
- Check your current Android version in Settings > About Phone > Android version
- Ensure your device has received the latest Android security patch update by checking Settings > Security > Security update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,352.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-21115 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-21115 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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