CVE-2023-21245

Local privilege escalation via keyguard completion logic

Published Jul 12, 2023 · Updated Jan 6, 2025

Incorrect authorization in Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to access the lock screen during device setup. KeyguardSecurityContainerController.showNextSecurityScreenOrFinish incorrectly required both an absent security method and a disabled lock screen before completing the SIM PIN or PUK path, rather than completing when either condition held. Exploitation requires local access during device setup with a locked SIM; no user interaction or additional execution privileges are required.

CVSS severity7.8
High
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 Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to access the lock screen during device setup. KeyguardSecurityContainerController.showNextSecurityScreenOrFinish incorrectly required both an absent security method and a disabled lock screen before completing the SIM PIN or PUK path, rather than completing when either condition held. Exploitation requires local access during device setup with a locked SIM; no user interaction or additional execution privileges are required.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21245
Published
Jul 12, 2023
Updated
Jan 6, 2025
Vendor
Google
Product
Android
Classifications
CWE-863, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 6, 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=11
  2. Affected versionversion=12
  3. Affected versionversion=12L
  4. Affected versionversion=13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google · Androidversion=11; version=12; version=12L; version=13

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-863Incorrect Authorization
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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