CVE-2023-21146

Local privilege escalation via event-subscription use-after-free

Published Jun 28, 2023 · Updated Dec 4, 2024

Use-after-free in the Google LWIS Android kernel driver allows local users with System privileges to gain elevated local privileges. The lwis_top_event_subscribe lifecycle can free subscription state while deferred event delivery still references it, corrupting kernel memory. Exploitation requires prior System-level execution on an affected Pixel device and no user interaction; successful corruption grants higher local privileges.

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

Use-after-free in the Google LWIS Android kernel driver allows local users with System privileges to gain elevated local privileges. The lwis_top_event_subscribe lifecycle can free subscription state while deferred event delivery still references it, corrupting kernel memory. Exploitation requires prior System-level execution on an affected Pixel device and no user interaction; successful corruption grants higher local privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21146
Published
Jun 28, 2023
Updated
Dec 4, 2024
Vendor
Google
Product
LWIS
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 28, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 4, 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=Android kernel

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Google · LWISversion=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 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-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation 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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