CVE-2023-21639
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 · uneditedMemory corruption in Audio while processing sva_model_serializer using memory size passed by HIDL client.
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 confidenceA memory corruption vulnerability exists in Android's Audio component where the sva_model_serializer processes a memory size value supplied by an untrusted HIDL client without adequate validation, potentially allowing an attacker to corrupt memory or achieve arbitrary code execution.
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 dataall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsCVSS 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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Identify the Qualcomm firmware versionCheck the device or system firmware information to determine if the product uses any of the affected Qualcomm components: Aqt1000, Fastconnect 6200, Qca6420, Qca6430, Sa4150p, Sa4155p, Sa6155p, or Sa8155p firmwareAffected if The device runs any of the listed Qualcomm firmware versions
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Verify the Audio sva_model_serializer component is presentInspect the Android system for the presence of the sva_model_serializer module within the Audio HAL or Sound Voice Assistant (SVA) components. This may be found in system logs, /vendor or /system partitions, or through HAL interface listings.Affected if The sva_model_serializer component exists in the audio subsystem
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Confirm HIDL interface for audio services is exposedCheck if HIDL (Hardware Interface Definition Language) interfaces for audio services are enabled and accessible on the device. This can be verified through HIDL service listings or audio HAL service status.Affected if HIDL audio interfaces are exposed and the device accepts remote audio service requests
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Check for memory operation logs related to sva_model_serializerReview system logs (logcat, dmesg) for any entries involving sva_model_serializer and memory allocation or copy operations. Look for warnings about size parameters or memory operations.Affected if Logs show sva_model_serializer processing memory size parameters from client requests without visible bounds validation
A device is affected if it runs any of the listed Qualcomm firmware versions and has the sva_model_serializer audio component enabled with accessible HIDL interfaces processing untrusted input.
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.
From vendor dataApply input validation bounds-checking on all memory size parameters received from HIDL clients in the audio sva_model_serializer code path before use in memory operations.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-21639 — 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-2023-21639 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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