CVE-2023-21116

Local privilege escalation via system app downgrade

Published May 15, 2023 · Updated Jan 24, 2025

Incorrect authorization in Google Cloud Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to gain elevated privileges via a system app downgrade. InstallPackageHelper.verifyReplacingVersionCode honors the downgrade flag without comparing a system-app package against the version preloaded on the system image. Exploitation requires System execution privileges but no user interaction, and installing the older privileged app version enables local privilege escalation.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.09%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in Google Cloud Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to gain elevated privileges via a system app downgrade. InstallPackageHelper.verifyReplacingVersionCode honors the downgrade flag without comparing a system-app package against the version preloaded on the system image. Exploitation requires System execution privileges but no user interaction, and installing the older privileged app version enables local privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21116
Published
May 15, 2023
Updated
Jan 24, 2025
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-863, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 15, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 24, 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-11 Android-12 Android-12L Android-13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

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

Published CVSS scores

6.7NVDCVSS: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-863Incorrect Authorization
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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