CVE-2023-21017

Local privilege escalation via installer-name spoofing

Published Mar 24, 2023 · Updated Mar 17, 2025

Improper input validation in Android 13 PackageInstaller allows local users to escalate privileges by spoofing an installer package name. InstallStart accepts EXTRA_INSTALLER_PACKAGE_NAME without confirming that it matches the calling package or that the caller holds INSTALL_PACKAGES. A user-level app can therefore claim another installer identity during package installation without user interaction, producing the local privilege escalation described by Android.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.10%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper input validation in Android 13 PackageInstaller allows local users to escalate privileges by spoofing an installer package name. InstallStart accepts EXTRA_INSTALLER_PACKAGE_NAME without confirming that it matches the calling package or that the caller holds INSTALL_PACKAGES. A user-level app can therefore claim another installer identity during package installation without user interaction, producing the local privilege escalation described by Android.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21017
Published
Mar 24, 2023
Updated
Mar 17, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 24, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 17, 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-13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=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

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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