CVE-2023-21073

Local privilege escalation via RTT buffer overflow

Published Mar 24, 2023 · Updated Feb 20, 2025

Out-of-bounds write in the Android kernel bcm4389 driver allows local users with System privileges to escalate privileges. The rtt_unpack_xtlv_cbfn function in dhd_rtt.c writes beyond a destination buffer while unpacking RTT XTLV data. Exploitation requires existing System execution privileges, needs no user interaction, and can corrupt kernel memory.

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

Out-of-bounds write in the Android kernel bcm4389 driver allows local users with System privileges to escalate privileges. The rtt_unpack_xtlv_cbfn function in dhd_rtt.c writes beyond a destination buffer while unpacking RTT XTLV data. Exploitation requires existing System execution privileges, needs no user interaction, and can corrupt kernel memory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21073
Published
Mar 24, 2023
Updated
Feb 20, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-787, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 24, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 20, 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

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
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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