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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-40132

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-01-21
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 setActualDefaultRingtoneUri of RingtoneManager.java, there is a possible way to bypass content providers read permissions due to a missing permission check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is 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 · high confidence

In Android's RingtoneManager.java, the setActualDefaultRingtoneUri method lacks a permission check when accessing content providers, allowing a local attacker to bypass read permissions and escalate privileges by modifying default system ringtones. User interaction is required for exploitation.

MitigationApply the Android security patch for CVE-2023-40132, which adds proper permission validation in RingtoneManager. Until patched, limit device sharing and avoid installing untrusted applications.

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= 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
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
    Affected if Version equals 12.0, 12.1, 13.0, or 14.0 exactly (not patched)
  2. Check security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Security patch level, or run `getprop ro.build.version.security_patch` via ADB
    Affected if The patch level is earlier than the October 2023 Android security bulletin for your Android version
  3. Review installed apps for suspicious ringtone-related apps
    Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps, look for unfamiliar apps with ringtone or media modification permissions
    Affected if Untrusted or unknown apps with dangerous permissions (like WRITE_SETTINGS) are installed
  4. Check unknown source app installations
    Go to Settings > Apps > Install unknown apps, review which apps are allowed to install other apps
    Affected if Apps from unknown sources are permitted to install other applications without user oversight

The device is affected if it runs Android 12.0, 12.1, 13.0, or 14.0 and has a security patch level earlier than the October 2023 bulletin, especially if untrusted third-party apps are installed.

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-2023-40132, which adds proper permission validation in RingtoneManager. Until patched, limit device sharing and avoid installing untrusted applications.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Apply the appropriate Android Security Bulletin patch (contact device manufacturer for specific patch level)

  1. 1. Apply the Android security patch for the month containing the fix for CVE-2023-40132. This vulnerability was addressed in the Android Security Bulletin.
  2. 2. The patch addresses a missing permission check in RingtoneManager.java's setActualDefaultRingtoneUri method that allowed bypassing content provider read permissions.
  3. 3. Ensure devices receive the latest Android Security Patch Level (SPL) from your device manufacturer.
  4. 4. After applying the patch, verify the fix does not break ringtone selection functionality.
Caveat Standard risk: verify ringtone functionality works correctly after applying the security patch

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,600
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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-2023-40132 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