dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21222

MEDIUM · 6.7 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 →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 load_dt_data of storage.c, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.Product: AndroidVersions: Android kernelAndroid ID: A-266977723References: N/A

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

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists in the load_dt_data function in storage.c of the Android kernel. The vulnerability is caused by a missing bounds check when processing device tree data, which could allow a local attacker with System privileges to escalate to root privileges.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for CVE-2023-21222, which adds proper bounds checking in the load_dt_data function. Organizations should ensure devices are updated to the latest Android security patch level.

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check Android 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 date the fix was released (typically post-June 2023)
  2. Verify kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' via ADB shell or check /proc/version
    Affected if The kernel version predates the patched kernel version containing the bounds check fix in load_dt_data
  3. Confirm device tree loading is active
    Check if /sys/firmware/devicetree or /proc/device-tree exists and is accessible (device tree is used on most Android devices)
    Affected if The device uses device tree and the kernel lacks the CVE-2023-21222 fix

The environment is affected if the Android security patch level predates the CVE-2023-21222 fix, meaning the kernel still lacks bounds checking in the load_dt_data function for device tree processing.

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-2023-21222, which adds proper bounds checking in the load_dt_data function. Organizations should ensure devices are updated to the latest Android security patch level.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android devices with August 2023 security patch level or later; or Android 14 (Upside Down Cake) which includes the fix

  1. 1. Check your device's Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android version or Settings > Security > Security patch level
  2. 2. Verify if your device has received the Android security patch for August 2023 or later (this CVE was addressed in the August 2023 Android Security Bulletin)
  3. 3. If available, apply any pending system updates through Settings > System > Software Update
  4. 4. For devices no longer receiving official updates, consider upgrading to a device that still receives monthly security patches
  5. 5. As a workaround, minimize exposure by avoiding installation of untrusted device trees or custom boot images
Caveat Upgrading to a newer Android version may remove support for older apps or cause compatibility issues with custom ROMs

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,420
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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-2023-21222 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