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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-35676

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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 createQuickShareAction of SaveImageInBackgroundTask.java, there is a possible way to trigger a background activity launch due to an unsafe PendingIntent. This could lead to local escalation of privilege 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 confidence

An unsafe PendingIntent in SaveImageInBackgroundTask.java allows a local attacker to trigger a background activity launch without user interaction, leading to local privilege escalation. The vulnerability stems from improper PendingIntent configuration that permits a malicious actor to hijack the intent and launch activities in the background context.

MitigationFix the PendingIntent by using appropriate flags (FLAG_IMMUTABLE or FLAG_MUTABLE with proper validation) and ensuring the intent package is explicitly set to prevent intent hijacking. Review all PendingIntent creation points in the affected component.

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:= 12.0= 12.1= 13.0

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB shell
    Affected if Version is 12.0, 12.1, or 13.0
  2. Identify vulnerable component
    Check for the presence of SaveImageInBackgroundTask.java in the system messaging or messages APK. This is typically found in the default messaging application or a system service that handles image saving. Use 'pm list packages' to find messaging-related packages, then examine the APK with 'pm path <package>'
    Affected if The messaging or messages APK contains SaveImageInBackgroundTask class and is installed as a system app
  3. Verify PendingIntent configuration
    If you have access to the APK decompiled code, inspect SaveImageInBackgroundTask.java for PendingIntent creation. Look for PendingIntent.getActivity or similar calls that lack FLAG_IMMUTABLE or FLAG_MUTABLE with proper package validation
    Affected if The code shows PendingIntent without FLAG_IMMUTABLE flag and without explicit setPackage() call on the intent

A device is affected if it runs Android 12.0, 12.1, or 13.0 and has the messaging component containing SaveImageInBackgroundTask with an improperly configured PendingIntent lacking immutability flags.

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

Fix the PendingIntent by using appropriate flags (FLAG_IMMUTABLE or FLAG_MUTABLE with proper validation) and ensuring the intent package is explicitly set to prevent intent hijacking. Review all PendingIntent creation points in the affected component.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Android 12.0, 12.1, and 13.0 devices should receive the December 2023 or January 2024 monthly security update (security patch level 2023-12 or 2024-01)

  1. 1. Apply the Android security update for the month when CVE-2023-35676 was addressed (typically December 2023 or January 2024 security bulletin)
  2. 2. Ensure the device receives the latest Android security patch level
  3. 3. Verify the fix by checking that the SaveImageInBackgroundTask.java createQuickShareAction method now uses FLAG_IMMUTABLE or FLAG_MUTABILITY_UNKNOWN when creating the PendingIntent
  4. 4. Confirm the patch prevents unauthorized background activity launches through the Quick Share feature
Caveat Monthly security updates are cumulative; applying them should not introduce breaking changes but will include all security fixes for that month

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2023-35676 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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