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AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-40646

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-08
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
57/100
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 Messaging, there is a possible missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed

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

This vulnerability in the Messaging component involves a missing permission check that allows local information disclosure without requiring additional execution privileges. An attacker with local device access could potentially access messaging data they should not have permission to view. The issue likely stems from an unprotected content provider or activity that exposes sensitive messaging information without verifying user permissions.

MitigationImplement proper permission checks (e.g., enforce READ_SMS, READ_MESSAGES, or custom permission verification) before exposing any messaging data through content providers, activities, or services. Apply the principle of least privilege to all data access paths.

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:= 11.0= 12.0

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
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 checks

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

  1. Verify Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version. Confirm the installed Android version is 11.0 or 12.0.
    Affected if Android version is exactly 11.0 or 12.0, matching the affected version range.
  2. Identify installed messaging applications
    Check Settings > Apps > Messaging or Messages to see all messaging-related apps installed on the device. Note any third-party or default messaging apps.
    Affected if Any messaging application is installed on an affected Android version (11.0 or 12.0).
  3. Check messaging app content providers for exported status
    Use a tool like APK Tool or install the app and examine its AndroidManifest.xml. Look for <provider> elements with android:exported="true" that handle messaging data (e.g., SMS, MMS).
    Affected if A messaging content provider is exported without requiring strong permission checks (e.g., no signature or privileged permission).
  4. Inspect messaging activities for permission enforcement
    Examine the AndroidManifest.xml for <activity> elements related to messaging. Check if they have android:permission attributes set, or if they are exported without protection.
    Affected if Messaging activities are exported without android:permission or with android:exported="true" and no permission attribute.
  5. Review content provider permissions in manifest
    In the messaging app's manifest, locate the <provider> definitions and check the android:readPermission and android:writePermission attributes. Determine if they are set to standard system permissions like READ_SMS or are missing/unprotected.
    Affected if Content providers handling messaging data lack android:readPermission or android:writePermission, or use weak permissions.

A user is affected if their device runs Android 11.0 or 12.0 and has any messaging application with unprotected exported components (content providers or activities) that expose sensitive data without proper permission checks.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement proper permission checks (e.g., enforce READ_SMS, READ_MESSAGES, or custom permission verification) before exposing any messaging data through content providers, activities, or services. Apply the principle of least privilege to all data access paths.

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2023-40646 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