CVE-2023-21192
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 · uneditedIn setInputMethodWithSubtypeIdLocked of InputMethodManagerService.java, there is a possible way to setup input methods that are not enabled due to improper input validation. 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-227207653
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 confidenceThis is an improper input validation vulnerability in Android 13's InputMethodManagerService.java, specifically in the setInputMethodWithSubtypeIdLocked function. The vulnerability allows a local attacker to bypass enabled-input-method restrictions and activate input methods that should not be enabled, leading to local privilege escalation without requiring user interaction.
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= 13.0CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Android version is 13.0Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run `getprop ro.build.version.release` via ADBAffected if The version shows exactly 13.0 (not 13.0.1, 13.0.2, or later)
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Check security patch levelGo to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level, or run `getprop ro.build.version.security_patch` via ADBAffected if The security patch level is earlier than June 2023 (the month Android 13 received the fix for this CVE)
A device is affected only if it runs Android 13.0 exactly and has a security patch level before June 2023, as later patches contain the fix for this input validation flaw in InputMethodManagerService.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply the Android security patch for CVE-2023-21192 (part of Android's monthly security update bundle). For custom ROMs or enterprise deployments, update to the latest Android 13 security level or apply the AOSP patch to the InputMethodManagerService.
Android 14 or later, or Android 13 with January 2024 security patch level
- 1. Navigate to Settings on the Android device
- 2. Go to System > System update (or Settings > About Phone > System update)
- 3. Check for and install any available system updates
- 4. Verify the Android version is updated to Android 14 or later, or ensure the Security Patch Level is January 2024 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-21192 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-21192 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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