dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21161

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 Parse of simdata.cpp, there is a possible out of bounds write 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-263783702References: 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

In the Parse function of simdata.cpp within the Android kernel, a missing bounds check allows an out-of-bounds write when parsing SIM data. This memory corruption vulnerability can be exploited locally to escalate privileges to System level without requiring user interaction.

MitigationApply the Android security patch that addresses A-263783702. Until a patch is available, consider restricting access to SIM-related interfaces and monitoring for unusual kernel behavior.

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 kernel is in use
    Check /proc/version or run 'uname -a' to identify the kernel and verify it is an Android-based system
    Affected if The system is running a stock Android kernel or a kernel derived from Android sources
  2. Check Android security patch level
    On Android device, go to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch'
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the date when A-263783702 was fixed (the fix was included in Android's March 2023 security patch or later)
  3. Verify simdata.cpp Parse function presence
    Check if the kernel source or /sys/module (for loaded modules) contains references to simdata parsing functionality; examine /proc/kallsyms for symbols related to SIM parsing if available
    Affected if The device has SIM functionality enabled and the vulnerable Parse function in simdata.cpp is present in the running kernel
  4. Confirm the vulnerability fix is absent
    Search kernel configuration or binary for the specific bounds check fix related to A-263783702 in the Parse function; on rooted devices, compare the running kernel against known-vulnerable builds
    Affected if The bounds check that was added to fix CVE-2023-21161 is not present in the kernel's simdata.cpp Parse function

The device is affected if it runs an unpatched Android kernel where the SIM data Parse function in simdata.cpp lacks the bounds check, which can be confirmed by checking that the security patch level predates the fix for A-263783702.

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 that addresses A-263783702. Until a patch is available, consider restricting access to SIM-related interfaces and monitoring for unusual kernel behavior.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android Security Bulletin January 2023 (or later) - Device-specific patch level

  1. Check your Android device's current security patch level in Settings > Security > Security update
  2. Verify if your device manufacturer has released a security update for January 2023 or later
  3. If no update is available from your device manufacturer, consider upgrading to a device that receives regular security updates
  4. For enterprise/managed devices, contact your mobile device management (MDM) provider for available security patches
  5. Apply the latest available security update from your device manufacturer
Caveat Some older devices may no longer receive security updates; consider device replacement if update is unavailable

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
34.0 hours of engineering $5,940
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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-2023-21161 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