CVE-2021-0553

Local privilege escalation via multiline app-label spoofing

Published Jun 22, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Elevation of privilege in Android 11 Settings allows local users to gain device-admin privileges through a malicious app label. DeviceAdminListPreferenceController and FilterTouchesSwitchPreference render an app-supplied title containing repeated CRLF characters as multiple lines, creating a misleading device-admin selection display. A user with execution privileges must run the malicious app and interact with the confused Settings list; exploitation enables unintended device-administrator selection.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Elevation of privilege in Android 11 Settings allows local users to gain device-admin privileges through a malicious app label. DeviceAdminListPreferenceController and FilterTouchesSwitchPreference render an app-supplied title containing repeated CRLF characters as multiple lines, creating a misleading device-admin selection display. A user with execution privileges must run the malicious app and interact with the confused Settings list; exploitation enables unintended device-administrator selection.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-0553
Published
Jun 22, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-74, T1655
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 22, 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-11

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android-11

Published CVSS scores

7.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.4NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-74Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
T1655Masquerading

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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