CVE-2021-0708

Local privilege escalation via system-UID file deletion

Published Oct 22, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Privilege escalation in Android 8.1, 9, 10, and 11 allows local users to delete system files through the dumpheap shell command. ActivityManagerShellCommand.runDumpHeap uses the system UID's filesystem authority on a caller-supplied output path, implicitly deleting an existing file. Exploitation requires low-privileged local command execution but no user interaction, and deletion is limited to files removable by the system UID.

CVSS severity7.8
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

Privilege escalation in Android 8.1, 9, 10, and 11 allows local users to delete system files through the dumpheap shell command. ActivityManagerShellCommand.runDumpHeap uses the system UID's filesystem authority on a caller-supplied output path, implicitly deleting an existing file. Exploitation requires low-privileged local command execution but no user interaction, and deletion is limited to files removable by the system UID.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-0708
Published
Oct 22, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-610, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 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-9 Android-10 Android-11 Android-8.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android-9 Android-10 Android-11 Android-8.1

Published CVSS scores

7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-610Externally Controlled Reference to a Resource in Another Sphere
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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