Local privilege escalation via encoder size overflow
Published Apr 15, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024
An out-of-bounds write in Petteri Aimonen Nanopb allows local users with System privileges to gain elevated access on Android. The pb_write function adds count to bytes_written without first detecting integer wraparound, allowing an untrusted bytes.size value to bypass max_size and drive reads and writes beyond the buffer. Exploitation requires code already running with Android System privileges and a build where size_t equals pb_size_t; no user interaction is required.
Summary
What happened
An out-of-bounds write in Petteri Aimonen Nanopb allows local users with System privileges to gain elevated access on Android. The pb_write function adds count to bytes_written without first detecting integer wraparound, allowing an untrusted bytes.size value to bypass max_size and drive reads and writes beyond the buffer. Exploitation requires code already running with Android System privileges and a build where size_t equals pb_size_t; no user interaction is required.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-0488
- Published
- Apr 15, 2021
- Updated
- Aug 3, 2024
- Vendor
- Petteri Aimonen
- Product
- Nanopb
- Classifications
- CWE-787, T1404
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 15, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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?
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- Affected versionversion=Android kernel
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Public exploit references
- Nanopb issue 547 regression triggerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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