CVE-2023-21056

Local privilege escalation via LWIS type confusion

Published Mar 24, 2023 · Updated Feb 21, 2025

Type confusion in Android's LWIS kernel driver allows local users with System execution privileges to escalate privileges. lwis_slc_buffer_free in lwis_device_slc.c confuses the buffer's resource type during release, corrupting kernel memory. Exploitation requires local System execution privileges and no user interaction; successful corruption elevates the caller beyond that context.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
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

Type confusion in Android's LWIS kernel driver allows local users with System execution privileges to escalate privileges. lwis_slc_buffer_free in lwis_device_slc.c confuses the buffer's resource type during release, corrupting kernel memory. Exploitation requires local System execution privileges and no user interaction; successful corruption elevates the caller beyond that context.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21056
Published
Mar 24, 2023
Updated
Feb 21, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-843, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

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

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Androidversion=Android kernel

Published CVSS scores

6.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-843Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')
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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