CVE-2023-20933

Local privilege escalation via concurrent metrics use-after-free

Published Feb 28, 2023 · Updated Mar 21, 2025

Use-after-free in Android 10 through 13 MediaCodec allows local users to escalate privileges through concurrent media metrics processing. MediaCodec metrics operations could update, duplicate, flush, or delete the same metrics handle across threads without consistent looper serialization and mutex protection. A low-privileged local process can trigger the race without user interaction, causing memory corruption in the Media Framework and elevated execution.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.17%
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 Android 10 through 13 MediaCodec allows local users to escalate privileges through concurrent media metrics processing. MediaCodec metrics operations could update, duplicate, flush, or delete the same metrics handle across threads without consistent looper serialization and mutex protection. A low-privileged local process can trigger the race without user interaction, causing memory corruption in the Media Framework and elevated execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20933
Published
Feb 28, 2023
Updated
Mar 21, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-416, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 28, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 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-10 Android-11 Android-12 Android-12L Android-13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android-10 Android-11 Android-12 Android-12L Android-13

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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