CVE-2022-20544

Local privilege escalation via unrestricted preference reset

Published Dec 16, 2022 · Updated Apr 21, 2025

Missing authorization in Android 13 Settings allows local users to elevate privileges by resetting restricted app preferences. ManageApplications.onOptionsItemSelected invokes the reset without checking DISALLOW_APPS_CONTROL, re-enabling apps disabled by an IT administrator. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a managed device with that restriction enabled; re-enabled apps can expose sensitive information.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
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

Missing authorization in Android 13 Settings allows local users to elevate privileges by resetting restricted app preferences. ManageApplications.onOptionsItemSelected invokes the reset without checking DISALLOW_APPS_CONTROL, re-enabling apps disabled by an IT administrator. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a managed device with that restriction enabled; re-enabled apps can expose sensitive information.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-20544
Published
Dec 16, 2022
Updated
Apr 21, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-862, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 16, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 21, 2025Record 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-13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android-13

Published CVSS scores

4.4CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
4.4NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-862Missing Authorization
T1068Exploitation 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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