CVE-2021-1016

Local privilege escalation via USB dialog tapjacking

Published Dec 15, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Elevation of privilege in Android 12 allows local users to grant apps USB access without informed consent via a tapjacking overlay. UsbPermissionActivity's onCreate dialog can be overlapped by a system-alert window, causing a user tap to approve USB permission for the attacker-controlled app. Exploitation requires a local app, user interaction, and a connected USB device; the consequence is unauthorized USB access and possible privilege escalation.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.11%
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 12 allows local users to grant apps USB access without informed consent via a tapjacking overlay. UsbPermissionActivity's onCreate dialog can be overlapped by a system-alert window, causing a user tap to approve USB permission for the attacker-controlled app. Exploitation requires a local app, user interaction, and a connected USB device; the consequence is unauthorized USB access and possible privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-1016
Published
Dec 15, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-1021
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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?

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  1. Affected versionversion=Android-12

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android-12

Published CVSS scores

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

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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-1021Improper Restriction of Rendered UI Layers or Frames

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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