CVE-2023-21000

Local privilege escalation via lock lifetime race

Published Mar 24, 2023 · Updated Feb 26, 2025

Use-after-free in MediaCodec.cpp in Android 13 allows local users to escalate device privileges without user interaction. Automatic destruction of a static lock during process shutdown leaves a still-running thread able to reference the freed lock. Exploitation requires local low-privileged execution and results in privilege escalation within the affected device.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.08%
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 MediaCodec.cpp in Android 13 allows local users to escalate device privileges without user interaction. Automatic destruction of a static lock during process shutdown leaves a still-running thread able to reference the freed lock. Exploitation requires local low-privileged execution and results in privilege escalation within the affected device.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21000
Published
Mar 24, 2023
Updated
Feb 26, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-667, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 24, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 26, 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

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NVDCVSS: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-667Improper Locking
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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