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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21155

MEDIUM · 5.5 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 →
57/100
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 BuildSetRadioNode of protocolmiscbuilder.cpp, there is a possible out of bounds read due to a missing null check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-264540700References: 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

This is a local information disclosure vulnerability in the Android kernel's BuildSetRadioNode function in protocolmiscbuilder.cpp. A missing null check allows an out-of-bounds read, potentially exposing kernel memory contents to userspace without requiring any special privileges or user interaction.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided kernel patch that adds proper null pointer validation in the BuildSetRadioNode function before the vulnerable pointer is dereferenced.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to obtain the running kernel version string
    Affected if The kernel version has not received the CVE-2023-21155 patch (patch adds null check to BuildSetRadioNode in protocolmiscbuilder.cpp)
  2. Check for patch presence in kernel source
    If kernel source is available, inspect the BuildSetRadioNode function in protocolmiscbuilder.cpp and verify that null pointer validation exists before pointer dereference
    Affected if The null check is missing from the BuildSetRadioNode function
  3. Verify vendor security bulletin
    Check the Android security bulletin for the month addressing CVE-2023-21155 and confirm the applicable patch level for your device model
    Affected if The device has not received the vendor patch for this CVE
  4. Check SELinux/enforcement state
    This vulnerability does not require special privileges, so standard Android security context applies; verify device is not rooted with altered kernel
    Affected if Device runs an unpatched kernel that allows the out-of-bounds read in BuildSetRadioNode

A user is affected if their Android kernel does not contain the null pointer validation fix in the BuildSetRadioNode function in protocolmiscbuilder.cpp, as indicated by unpatched kernel version or missing vendor security update.

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 vendor-provided kernel patch that adds proper null pointer validation in the BuildSetRadioNode function before the vulnerable pointer is dereferenced.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Any Android device with May 2023 security patch level or later (e.g., Android 14, Android 13 with May 2023 security update)

  1. Check your current Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android version
  2. Apply the May 2023 Android Security Update or later via system update (Settings > System > System Update)
  3. Verify the security patch level is May 2023 or later after updating
  4. For devices no longer receiving official updates, consider migrating to a device with active security support or a custom ROM with recent security patches
Caveat May require device support; older devices may not receive the 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
  • 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-2023-21155 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