dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21153

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-06-28
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 Do_AIMS_SET_CALL_WAITING of imsservice.cpp, there is a possible out of bounds read 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-264259730References: 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 missing bounds check in the Do_AIMS_SET_CALL_WAITING function of imsservice.cpp allows an out-of-bounds memory read. This can be exploited locally to escalate privileges to System level, bypassing normal permission boundaries in the Android IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) service.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for the relevant monthly bulletin containing this fix (refer to Android Security Bulletin). Review and validate the bounds checking logic in the imsservice.cpp IMS call handling code.

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 if IMS service is present
    Check if the device has IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) functionality enabled. This is typically found in Settings > Network & Internet > Calls > Advanced calling settings, or under carrier-specific IMS settings.
    Affected if IMS calling/VoLTE/VoNR is enabled on the device
  2. Check for imsservice process
    Run 'ps -A | grep ims' or 'ps -A | grep imsservice' to list any running IMS-related processes.
    Affected if An imsservice, ims, or similar IMS daemon process is running on the device
  3. Verify the Android version
    Check the device Android version in Settings > About Phone > Android version. Compare this against the patch date for CVE-2023-21153 (fixed in Android Security Bulletin June 2023 or later).
    Affected if The device is running an Android version without the June 2023 security patch or later
  4. Check for system service exposure
    Review if the device has any third-party IMS applications or carrier IMS services installed that may bundle the vulnerable imsservice.cpp component.
    Affected if Non-standard or carrier-specific IMS applications are installed that may contain the vulnerable code

A user is affected if IMS service is enabled and the device lacks the June 2023 Android security patch, allowing local privilege escalation through the vulnerable Do_AIMS_SET_CALL_WAITING function in imsservice.

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 for the relevant monthly bulletin containing this fix (refer to Android Security Bulletin). Review and validate the bounds checking logic in the imsservice.cpp IMS call handling code.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Android 14 (final release) or apply October 2023 Android Security Bulletin patch

  1. Apply the latest Android monthly security patch update for your device. Go to Settings > Security > Security update and install any available updates.
  2. If your device manufacturer has released a newer Android version (Android 13 or Android 14), consider upgrading to receive the fix bundled in that release.
  3. Verify the patch has been applied by checking the Android Security Patch Level in Settings > About Phone > Android version (should show October 2023 or later).
  4. For enterprise or managed devices, ensure mobile device management (MDM) policies enforce system updates.
Caveat Upgrading Android versions may cause incompatibility with older apps or result in data loss; backup data before upgrading

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,560
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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-2023-21153 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