CVE-2023-21209
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 multiple functions of sta_iface.cpp, there is a possible out of bounds read due to unsafe deserialization. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android-13Android ID: A-262236273
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 confidenceAn unsafe deserialization vulnerability in multiple functions of sta_iface.cpp (Android's WiFi station interface) allows an out of bounds read, enabling local privilege escalation from System privileges. No user interaction is required for exploitation.
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
- 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Android version is 13.0Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android versionAffected if The version returned is exactly 13.0 (not 13.0.x, not 12.x, not 14.x)
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Verify WiFi station interface component existsCheck for sta_iface.cpp derived binaries or libraries in the system (such as in /system/bin/hw/ or vendor partitions), or verify WiFi driver modules are loadedAffected if The WiFi station interface component is present on the device
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Confirm WiFi functionality is enabledCheck if WiFi is turned on or if the WiFi service is running via 'dumpsys wifi' or settingsAffected if WiFi is enabled or the WiFi service is active on the device
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Verify System-level access existsConfirm the ability to execute commands as the System user (uid 1000) on the device, as exploitation requires System privileges as the starting pointAffected if Code execution at System privilege level is possible on the device
The device is affected if it runs Android version exactly 13.0, has the WiFi station interface (sta_iface) present and enabled, and an attacker can execute code at System privilege level to trigger the unsafe deserialization for privilege escalation.
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 Android-13 that addresses the unsafe deserialization in sta_iface.cpp. Prioritize deploying the patch to affected devices as this enables local privilege escalation without user interaction.
Android 13.0 with July 2023 security patch level or later
- Go to Settings > System > System Update on the Android device
- Check for and install the latest Android security update (July 2023 patch level or later)
- After updating, verify the Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android Version shows the fix is applied
- Ensure the device is running Android 13.0 with the July 2023 security patch or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $11,520.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-21209 — 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-2023-21209 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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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.
- 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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