dbcve.org
AndroidOperating system · Google

CVE-2023-45779

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-04
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 the APEX module framework of AOSP, there is a possible malicious update to platform components due to improperly used crypto. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. More details on this can be found in the referenced links.

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

The APEX (Android Pony EXpress) module framework in AOSP has a cryptographic implementation flaw that allows malicious APEX updates to be installed, bypassing proper verification. This enables a local attacker to escalate privileges by injecting malicious code into platform components through the update mechanism.

MitigationApply the security patch for CVE-2023-45779 from the Android monthly security bulletin. This is a framework-level vulnerability requiring the Google-provided AOSP fix.

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:all versions

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 security patch level
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Security Patch Level, or run `getprop ro.build.version.security_patch` via ADB
    Affected if The security patch level is earlier than the Android security bulletin release that includes CVE-2023-45779 fix (September 2023 or later)
  2. Verify APEX module framework is present
    Check for APEX service by running `dumpsys apexservice` via ADB shell, or look for /system/apex/ directory
    Affected if APEX framework exists on the device - this is the vulnerable component
  3. Check APEX update daemon status
    Run `getprop init.svc.apexd` via ADB to check if apexd service is running
    Affected if APEX daemon is active - updates can be processed through this service
  4. Confirm Android version
    Go to Settings > About Phone > Android version, or run `getprop ro.build.version.release` via ADB
    Affected if Any Android version is listed - per AOSP advisory, all versions are affected before patching

The device is affected if the security patch level predates the September 2023 Android security bulletin, regardless of Android version, since APEX framework is present by default on affected devices.

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 security patch for CVE-2023-45779 from the Android monthly security bulletin. This is a framework-level vulnerability requiring the Google-provided AOSP fix.

Recommended fix High confidence

Android devices with December 2023 security patch level or later (Android 12, 12L, 13, and 14)

  1. 1. Check the current Android security patch level on the device in Settings > About Phone > Android version
  2. 2. Verify the device has received the December 2023 Android Security Bulletin update or later
  3. 3. If not already updated, check for system updates in Settings > System > Software Update
  4. 4. Apply the latest available Android security update for your device
  5. 5. After update, confirm the security patch level reflects December 2023 or later (e.g., '2023-12-01' or newer)
Caveat Standard Android monthly security update - minimal risk; updates are backward compatible

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

Fix this in Android Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation24.0 h
  • Testing16.0 h
  • Review / QA12.0 h
60.0 hours of engineering $10,480
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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-2023-45779 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