dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-21370

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.0 or later.
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 the Security Element API, there is a possible out of bounds write due to an integer overflow. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System 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 confidence

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Android's Security Element API caused by an integer overflow allows local privilege escalation from System execution privileges without user interaction.

MitigationApply the latest Android security patch (Google's March 2023 security bulletin) which addresses the integer overflow with proper bounds validation in the Security Element API.

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:< 14.0

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
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. Confirm the device runs Android OS
    Check the operating system by examining system properties or /system/build.prop for 'ro.build.id' or 'ro.product.model'. On Android, the file /system/build.prop typically contains 'ro.build.fingerprint' indicating Android.
    Affected if The device is not running Android OS - this CVE does not apply to non-Android systems.
  2. Determine the Android version
    Run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' or check Settings > About Phone > Android version. Compare the version number against 14.0.
    Affected if Android version is below 14.0 (versions 13, 12, 11, etc.) - these versions contain the vulnerable code.
  3. Verify Security Element API availability
    Check if the device has a Secure Element reader by examining /system/etc/permissions/android.hardware.secure_element.xml or by running the command 'dumpsys secure_element'. The Security Element API is typically available on devices with hardware secure element support (eSIM, SE).
    Affected if The device has an active Secure Element and uses the SecurityElement API - this is the vulnerable component.
  4. Assess the execution context
    Determine the privilege level of the process in question by examining the process UID and checking if it has SYSTEM UID (uid 1000) or holds the android.permission.MASTER_CLEAR permission. Run 'ps -A | grep <process>' and check the UID column, or use 'dumpsys package <packagename>' to check permissions.
    Affected if The code execution context is at System privilege level (UID 1000) - the vulnerability allows escalation from this level, not from unprivileged app context.

A device is affected if it runs Android OS version below 14.0, has a Secure Element with the Security Element API available, and the potential attacker already has System-level execution privileges.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 14.0 or later
Fixed in 14.0
Interim mitigation

Apply the latest Android security patch (Google's March 2023 security bulletin) which addresses the integer overflow with proper bounds validation in the Security Element API.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android 14.0

  1. Verify current Android version by going to Settings > About Phone > Android version
  2. Confirm the device model is eligible for Android 14.0 (Pixel devices generally receive 7 years of updates, other manufacturers vary)
  3. Backup important data to cloud or external storage
  4. Check for system update: go to Settings > System > Software Update > Check for update
  5. Download and install Android 14.0 when available from the device manufacturer
  6. After update, verify the patch level by going to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level to confirm it reflects a post-March 2023 security update
Caveat Android 14 may have app compatibility changes; test critical business applications before broad deployment

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
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-21370 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