CVE-2021-0468

Physical privilege escalation via insecure default value

Published Apr 13, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Privilege management in MediaTek Little Kernel for Android SoC allows physically proximate attackers to gain elevated privileges. The public record identifies an insecure default value in the LK component but does not disclose the setting, code locus, or privileged operation it controls. Exploitation requires physical device access and user interaction, but no prior execution privileges, and can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVSS severity6.6
Medium
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege management in MediaTek Little Kernel for Android SoC allows physically proximate attackers to gain elevated privileges. The public record identifies an insecure default value in the LK component but does not disclose the setting, code locus, or privileged operation it controls. Exploitation requires physical device access and user interaction, but no prior execution privileges, and can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-0468
Published
Apr 13, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
MediaTek
Product
Little Kernel
Classifications
CWE-269, T1404
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 13, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Android SoC

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

MediaTek · Little Kernelversion=Android SoC

Published CVSS scores

6.6Google AndroidCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1404Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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