CVE-2023-21132

Physical privilege escalation via unprovisioned permission settings

Published Aug 14, 2023 · Updated Oct 9, 2024

Missing authorization in Android 12, 12L, and 13 allows physically proximate attackers to bypass factory reset protection. ManagePermissionsActivity.onCreate continues into permission settings without checking DEVICE_PROVISIONED and USER_SETUP_COMPLETE. A factory-reset device is required; no execution privileges or user interaction are needed, and access to permission settings enables local privilege escalation.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Missing authorization in Android 12, 12L, and 13 allows physically proximate attackers to bypass factory reset protection. ManagePermissionsActivity.onCreate continues into permission settings without checking DEVICE_PROVISIONED and USER_SETUP_COMPLETE. A factory-reset device is required; no execution privileges or user interaction are needed, and access to permission settings enables local privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21132
Published
Aug 14, 2023
Updated
Oct 9, 2024
Vendor
Google
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-862
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 14, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 9, 2024Record 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=12
  2. Affected versionversion=12L
  3. Affected versionversion=13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Google · Androidversion=12; version=12L; version=13

Published CVSS scores

6.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/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)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-862Missing Authorization

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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