dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21172

HIGH · 7.8 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 →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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 multiple functions of WifiCallingSettings.java, there is a possible way to change calling preferences for the admin user due to a permissions bypass. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-13Android ID: A-262243015

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 permissions bypass in multiple functions of WifiCallingSettings.java on Android-13 allows a local attacker to modify calling preferences for the admin user without proper authorization, resulting in local privilege escalation.

MitigationApply patches from Android's security update for Android-13 that enforce proper permission checks in WifiCallingSettings.java to validate user authorization before allowing modifications to calling preferences.

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:= 13.0

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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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. Verify Android version is 13.0
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB
    Affected if The device runs Android 13.0 exactly (version 13.0, not 13.0.1 or later)
  2. Check security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.security_patch' via ADB
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the Android security update that fixed this issue in WifiCallingSettings.java
  3. Determine if WiFi Calling is accessible
    Go to Settings > Network & Internet > WiFi Calling, or check via 'settings get global wifi_calling_enabled' command
    Affected if WiFi Calling settings are accessible and can be modified on the device
  4. Check for user profile configuration
    Inspect if the device has multiple user profiles configured via Settings > Accounts > Users, or run 'pm list users' via ADB
    Affected if The device has multiple user profiles where one could be the admin user mentioned in the CVE description

A device is affected if it runs Android 13.0 with a security patch level predating the fix and has WiFi Calling functionality accessible for modification.

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 patches from Android's security update for Android-13 that enforce proper permission checks in WifiCallingSettings.java to validate user authorization before allowing modifications to calling preferences.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android 13 with May 2023 Security Patch Level or later; alternatively Android 14 if device support allows

  1. 1. Check the current Android version by navigating to Settings > About Phone > Version Number
  2. 2. Check for system updates by going to Settings > System > Software Update
  3. 3. If an update is available, download and install it. This will include the security patch for CVE-2023-21172
  4. 4. After updating, verify the Android Security Patch Level by going to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  5. 5. Ensure the Security Patch Level is May 2023 or later, which contains the fix for this vulnerability
  6. 6. If no OTA update is available, contact the device manufacturer for the specific security patch or consider upgrading to Android 14 if the device is supported
Caveat Upgrading to newer Android versions may introduce UI changes or remove compatibility with older apps; verify app compatibility before upgrading

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
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2023-21172 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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