CVE-2023-20928

Local privilege escalation via Binder VMA race

Published Jan 24, 2023 · Updated Apr 2, 2025

Use-after-free in the Android kernel Binder driver allows local users to escalate privileges through a race with munmap without user interaction. binder_update_page_range accesses a cached alloc->vma pointer while munmap can detach and free that VMA under only a read lock. A low-privileged local process can race Binder buffer allocation against VMA teardown, producing kernel memory corruption and privilege escalation.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.18%
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 Android kernel Binder driver allows local users to escalate privileges through a race with munmap without user interaction. binder_update_page_range accesses a cached alloc->vma pointer while munmap can detach and free that VMA under only a read lock. A low-privileged local process can race Binder buffer allocation against VMA teardown, producing kernel memory corruption and privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20928
Published
Jan 24, 2023
Updated
Apr 2, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-416, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 24, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 2, 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?

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  1. Affected versionversion=Android kernel

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android kernel

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA ADPCVSS: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-416Use After Free
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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