dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21162

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-04
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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 RGXUnbackingZSBuffer of rgxta3d.c, there is a possible arbitrary code execution due to a use after free. This could lead to local escalation of privilege in the kernel with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.

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

A use-after-free vulnerability in the PowerVR GPU driver function RGXUnbackingZSBuffer (rgxta3d.c) allows a local attacker to execute arbitrary code in kernel context, achieving local privilege escalation without requiring additional privileges or user interaction.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided kernel/GPU driver patch that addresses the use-after-free in RGXUnbackingZSBuffer; this is typically delivered through Android security patch levels or kernel updates.

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify PowerVR GPU hardware
    Check device specifications or run 'lshw' or check /sys/class/graphics for PowerVR GPU identifiers to confirm the device uses a PowerVR GPU driver.
    Affected if The device contains a PowerVR GPU and uses the affected rgxta3d.c driver component.
  2. Check Android Security Patch Level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' to view the installed security patch level.
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the vendor-provided patch date for this CVE (typically May 2023 or later).
  3. Check kernel version
    Run 'uname -a' or check /proc/version to view the running kernel version.
    Affected if The kernel version predates the vendor kernel update containing the fix for the RGXUnbackingZSBuffer use-after-free.
  4. Verify GPU driver presence
    Check for the presence of PowerVR GPU driver modules in /proc/modules or via 'lsmod | grep -i powervr' or inspect /sys/kernel/debug/pvr for driver info.
    Affected if The PowerVR GPU driver (rgxta3d) is loaded and the specific vulnerable function RGXUnbackingZSBuffer is present.

A user is affected if their Android device has a PowerVR GPU and lacks the vendor security patch that addresses the use-after-free in RGXUnbackingZSBuffer.

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/GPU driver patch that addresses the use-after-free in RGXUnbackingZSBuffer; this is typically delivered through Android security patch levels or kernel updates.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Apply Android security patch level June 2023 or later. For devices no longer receiving official updates, consider upgrading to a device model with active security support

  1. 1. Check the current Android security patch level on the affected device: Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version > Security patch level
  2. 2. Apply the Android security update that addresses CVE-2023-21162. This vulnerability was addressed in the Android Security Bulletin released in June 2023
  3. 3. Ensure the device receives and installs the latest Android security patch level (June 2023 or later)
  4. 4. For enterprise/Android Enterprise managed devices, ensure the device policy controller enforces mandatory security updates
  5. 5. Verify the patch has been applied by checking that the security patch level is June 2023 or later
Caveat None expected from applying the security patch; this is a kernel-side fix with no user-facing changes

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
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,160
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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-2023-21162 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