CVE-2021-0963

Local privilege escalation via obscured confirmation button

Published Dec 15, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Tapjacking in Android 9 through 12 allows local users to use an app certificate after tapping an obscured KeyChainActivity prompt. KeyChainActivity's onCreate flow left its positive confirmation button receptive to touches while an untrusted overlay obscured the dialog. Exploitation requires an overlay-capable app and a user tap, and it grants use of the selected certificate without additional execution privileges.

CVSS severity7.1
High
EPSS probability0.20%
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 9 through 12 allows local users to use an app certificate after tapping an obscured KeyChainActivity prompt. KeyChainActivity's onCreate flow left its positive confirmation button receptive to touches while an untrusted overlay obscured the dialog. Exploitation requires an overlay-capable app and a user tap, and it grants use of the selected certificate without additional execution privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-0963
Published
Dec 15, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-1021, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 15, 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 Android-12 Android-9

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android-10 Android-11 Android-12 Android-9

Published CVSS scores

7.1NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
3.3NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N

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
Privilegesunauthenticated
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.

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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