CVE-2023-21252

Persistent boot loop via oversized WAPI password

Published Oct 6, 2023 · Updated Sep 19, 2024

Denial of service in Google Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to force an affected device into a persistent boot loop. WifiConfigurationUtil.validatePassword fails to reject oversized WAPI password strings before NativeUtil.hexOrQuotedStringToBytes converts them. A low-privileged local caller can trigger the condition without user interaction, and repeated startup failure interrupts device availability.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.11%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in Google Android 11, 12, 12L, and 13 allows local users to force an affected device into a persistent boot loop. WifiConfigurationUtil.validatePassword fails to reject oversized WAPI password strings before NativeUtil.hexOrQuotedStringToBytes converts them. A low-privileged local caller can trigger the condition without user interaction, and repeated startup failure interrupts device availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21252
Published
Oct 6, 2023
Updated
Sep 19, 2024
Vendor
Google
Product
Android
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 6, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 19, 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=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

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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