dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21189

HIGH · 7.3 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 →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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 startLockTaskMode of LockTaskController.java, there is a possible bypass of lock task mode due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-13Android ID: A-213942596

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 logic error in the startLockTaskMode function of LockTaskController.java on Android 13 allows bypassing lock task mode, potentially enabling local privilege escalation. The vulnerability requires user interaction to exploit but needs no additional execution privileges.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for CVE-2023-21189 (distributed via monthly security updates). Organizations using lock task mode (kiosk deployments) should verify devices are updated and monitor for unusual 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:= 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
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/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. Check Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone (or About Device) > Android version. Confirm the installed version is exactly 13.0.
    Affected if The device is running Android 13.0 (the only affected version listed).
  2. Determine if Lock Task Mode is in use
    Check if the device is configured as a kiosk or enterprise device using Lock Task Mode. This is typically set via Device Owner or Profile Owner using Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools or the dpm command-line tool. Look for LockTaskMode entitlements in device policies or provisioning files.
    Affected if The device uses Lock Task Mode (kiosk mode) - this is the feature being bypassed.
  3. Check security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level (or Security Update). Compare the installed patch date against the Android security update that contains the fix for CVE-2023-21189.
    Affected if The device security patch level is older than the patch that addresses CVE-2023-21189.
  4. Verify via device policy checker (optional)
    For enterprise-managed devices, use the MDM console or run 'dpm dump' command (if supported) to review active device policies and confirm LockTask is enabled.
    Affected if LockTask is enabled and the device has not received the CVE-2023-21189 patch.

A device is affected if it runs Android 13.0, has Lock Task Mode enabled, and is running a security patch level older than the fix for CVE-2023-21189.

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 CVE-2023-21189 (distributed via monthly security updates). Organizations using lock task mode (kiosk deployments) should verify devices are updated and monitor for unusual behavior.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 13.0 with May 2023 security patch level or later

  1. Check your Android device's current security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level
  2. Ensure your device is running Android 13.0
  3. Apply the latest Android security update (May 2023 or later security patch level)
  4. Go to Settings > System > Security & privacy > Security update and check for updates
  5. If available, download and install the latest security update
  6. After updating, verify the security patch level reflects May 2023 or later
Caveat Standard Android security update with no expected breaking changes; monthly security updates are cumulative and include all previous fixes

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,600
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,160.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-21189 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-21189 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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