CVE-2023-21267
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 KeyguardViewMediator.java, there is a possible way to bypass lockdown mode with screen pinning due to a logic error in the code. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
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 confidenceA logic error in KeyguardViewMediator.java allows bypassing lockdown mode when screen pinning is active, enabling local information disclosure without user interaction or elevated privileges.
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= 11.0= 12.0= 12.1= 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 versionGo to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADBAffected if Version is 11.0, 12.0, 12.1, or 13.0
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Determine if screen pinning is enabledCheck Settings > Security > Screen pinning, or in Settings > Apps > Default apps > Screen pinning. On Android 12+, also check if 'Ask to unlock before unpinning' is disabledAffected if Screen pinning is turned on or commonly used on the device
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Verify lockdown mode statusCheck Settings > Security > Lockdown mode. If enabled, the bypass would allow access to apps/content without the PIN/password requirementAffected if Lockdown mode is configured and active on the device
Device is affected if running Android 11.0, 12.0, 12.1, or 13.0 with both screen pinning enabled and lockdown mode configured, as the logic flaw in KeyguardViewMediator.java would allow bypassing the lock screen under these conditions.
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 · scopedThis vulnerability requires a framework-level patch to KeyguardViewMediator.java to correct the lockdown mode enforcement logic. End users should apply Android system updates once available.
Android 13.0 with July 2023 security patch or later; Android 12L with July 2023 security patch or later; Android 11 with July 2023 security patch or later
- Check the current Android security patch level in Settings > About Phone > Android version or Settings > Security > Security update
- Upgrade the device to a newer Android version that includes the security patch for CVE-2023-21267
- For Android 13.0, ensure the device receives the July 2023 security patch or later
- For Android 12.0/12.1, ensure the device receives the July 2023 security patch or later
- For Android 11.0, ensure the device receives the July 2023 security patch or later
- After updating, verify the security patch level has been updated in Settings > About Phone > Android version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing24.0 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 $15,232.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-21267 — 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-2023-21267 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data