CVE-2021-0523

Local privilege escalation via Wi-Fi scan tapjacking

Published Jun 21, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Tapjacking in Android 10 and 11 allows local users to enable Wi-Fi scanning without consent through a malicious overlay. WifiScanModeActivity.onCreate fails to hide non-system overlay windows, allowing an overlay to disguise the consent control and redirect a tap. Exploitation requires user-level code execution and user interaction; the bounded consequence is unauthorized activation of Wi-Fi scanning.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Tapjacking in Android 10 and 11 allows local users to enable Wi-Fi scanning without consent through a malicious overlay. WifiScanModeActivity.onCreate fails to hide non-system overlay windows, allowing an overlay to disguise the consent control and redirect a tap. Exploitation requires user-level code execution and user interaction; the bounded consequence is unauthorized activation of Wi-Fi scanning.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-0523
Published
Jun 21, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-1021, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 21, 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-10 Android-11

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android-10 Android-11

Published CVSS scores

4.4NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1021Improper Restriction of Rendered UI Layers or Frames
T1404Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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