CVE-2021-39712

Local privilege escalation via kernel use-after-free race

Published Mar 16, 2022 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Use-after-free in the Google Cloud Android kernel allows local users with System privileges to gain elevated privileges via a race condition. The Android record attributes the stale object use to a race condition but does not disclose the affected file, function, object type, or trigger. Exploitation requires local access and existing System execution privileges, requires no user interaction, and affects supported Pixel device kernels.

CVSS severity6.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.09%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Google Cloud Android kernel allows local users with System privileges to gain elevated privileges via a race condition. The Android record attributes the stale object use to a race condition but does not disclose the affected file, function, object type, or trigger. Exploitation requires local access and existing System execution privileges, requires no user interaction, and affects supported Pixel device kernels.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-39712
Published
Mar 16, 2022
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-362, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 16, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 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 kernel

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android kernel

Published CVSS scores

4.4NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
6.4NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/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.

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-362Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')
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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